Laurie grew up in Big Flats, NY — a small town outside Corning. She earned a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in History from Geneseo State University. During her college years, Laurie developed a passion for public health, serving as a peer health educator on campus. Following graduation, she moved to Maryland in 2006 to pursue a Master of Public Health at the University of Maryland, College Park, and she remained on campus as a health educator in the UMD Health Promotion Department. After several years working in the public health field, Laurie started a family with her husband Ryan (son of Kasey Trees and an SRNS alum!) and decided to leave the workforce to raise their two children, Nora and Kate. Once her children began attending SRNS, she became more involved in the school by volunteering for the Lunch Bunch program and eventually joining the SRNS staff in the Fall of 2023. She is excited to jump back into the education field and teach the youngest members of SRNS!