Laura grew up in Roanoke Rapids, NC where her family encouraged her to hike, bike, camp, and swim. She spent most of her free time running around outside with her siblings and dogs which fostered a connection to the outdoors from a young age. Laura decided to attend Elon University where she majored in Adventure Based Learning. She developed knowledge and passion for experiential education and working with kids. During her time at Elon, she also completed a NOLS semester in the Southwest of the US which gave her a lot of confidence in living and learning in the backcountry. Over the past few years, Laura has worked at a number of other outdoor places as a paddling and backpacking instructor and as an environmental educator. She’s excited to be working this year as a field instructor for the Academy.

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