She earned her bachelor's degree at Stanford University before working in fundraising where she specialized in development communication. Laura returned to nursing school at New York University where she worked on an NIH research study assessing heterosexual HIV risk, as well as with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene connecting underserved families to asthma resources, and consulting with a local nonprofit to create a smoking cessation program. Laura's past volunteer experience includes HIV testing and counseling in San Francisco and starting a birth control peer education program for college students.