Laura was born and raised in the Central Valley, the kid of two school teachers who taught them the love of learning and to seek justice in everyday life. They are a graduate of UC Berkeley with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Performance Studies with a Minor in Public Policy. Laura has a passion for creativity and change-making. Their work in youth development has taken them all over the country, from summer camps to national youth conferences, giving workshops and facilitating conversations about peace and social justice. Laura is thrilled to be back in the bay area after spending the last few years back in the central valley.
Laura got involved with yli in the Spring of 2022 as a Program Coordinator for Friday Night Live in Fresno specially focusing on engaging LGBTQ+ young people. Also in Fresno, Laura was a part of the California Youth Behavior Health Initiative (CYBHI) project through Redefining Equity Through Policy in the 559 area code. CYBHI was a youth-led funding allocation process where youth created videos about organizations benefiting mental health in Fresno. Laura became the Program Manager of the Marin office in the summer of 2023 and has been supporting all of our programs in different ways.
Outside of work, Laura enjoys reading, exploring the outdoors, and curating playlists!
Let everything happen to you, beauty and terror, just keep going. No feeling is final.
~Rainer Maria Rilke