How did you get your start at LCC?  What do you remember most from your first day/week/month?

Bob Pawlowski, chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science department in 1995 hired me to teach precalculus in Howell. For the first few years, I was always nervous on the first day of classes, but eventually, I found my own way to do ice breakers that helped everyone in the class learn names and created a more welcoming environment for collaboration.

Back then rules about kids on campus and use of technology were more lenient and students including my 12 year old son sometimes came to campus and played video games with other college students in the basement of the Arts and Science building while I taught. At the end of my second year of teaching, I went into labor with my first daughter a few hours after turning in grades. Back then, grades were turned in on paper in person.

Within a few months of my second daughter being born, I was teaching online using the Blackboard platform. The options for how we deliver education and keep track of grades has changed over the years, but he flexibility of working around family and other work obligations as an adjunct professor and/or tutor remains and is one of the great things about working at LCC.

Have you held different positions at LCC? How would you describe your career path and the role that LCC played in it?

Yes, I worked as a tutor and a professor for the Math and Computer Science department during most of my career here and when they lost funding for tutors, I was hired to be a tutor for the Learning Commons. For the last couple of years, the Learning Commons has been my only position here at LCC.

It has been helpful to take tuition free classes here at LCC. These classes have helped me start a new career in the private sector.

What's your favorite memory from your time at LCC? Who are the people who made working here great?

Kay Barks was always available (until she retired) to give advice on handling various situations and she was one of my biggest cheerleaders when I would create a SCORM compliant software project that helped students learn math concepts. She used many of my projects in her own teaching. I would run down the hall to see her when I finally got a project to work correctly because I was so excited to show it to her. SCORM is now considered an old technology, but if you are interested in learning about it, I have a description on one of my web pages: https://www.lsquaredmath.us/scormQuest/

My colleagues made working here great.

What were your greatest accomplishments or successes while working at LCC?

• Guiding a student through an independent study using math history to find out how slicing a cone is equivalent to the modern day definitions of the conics. She also presented her work to the math department faculty and some other students. This was a project she worked on for two summers.
• Numerous students telling me that they didn't realize that they could learn that much math in one semester!
• Motivated many capable students to do what it takes to be successful as described in this 400 word essay which was a Transforming Learning through Teaching assignment in the summer of 2016 that was selected for publication. https://cte.openlcc.net/400-words/kicked-out/
• Helping students that come to the Learning Commons succeed in their classes and other goals.
• Getting many students that I taught or tutored hired to be tutors themselves in the Learning Commons which further developed their skills.
• Created SCORM compliant Learning Objects to help students master concepts and make it easy for teachers to add them to their courses for easy grading.
• Presented ideas at several conferences.
• Participated in the Elementary School Science and Math day at LCC by dressing up as an alien and teaching alien arithmetic using a software program that I created where students would build the aliens hands and use the number of fingers to determine which counting system they worked in.

What are you looking forward to in your retirement? What plans are you most excited for?

• Family time including travel with and to see family.
• Study for actuarial exams to advance my new career
• More physical training: running, strength, etc. for fitness activities and competition
• Software development

Is there any additional information that you would like to share related to your time at LCC?

Counting my years at Cuyahoga Community College, IUPUI, MSU, Davenport College, and finally LCC, I have a total of 37 years of teaching and tutoring. I have enjoyed and will miss my years learning and helping others learn mathematics, physics, statistics, programming, and web development.

Supervisor: Cindy Storie

What's your favorite memory of this employee? Do you have any other positive thoughts to share about this individual?

I love Laura's enthusiasm for learning, with the tenacity to meet new challenges and the commitment to keep growing!

It shows in her approach to teaching Mathematics, along with tutoring Physics, Statistics, Programming, and Web Development. Laura has a gift for making the concepts approachable and fun, with a talent for reaching in to assist students to understand and apply problem solving to find real world solutions. Laura is a great teacher, mentor, and tutor.

Some of my favorite memories of Laura is with our Learning Commons Student Events, In-Services, and Retreats over the years. She was always up for lending a helping hand, working collaboratively as a team member on many projects, and dressing-up for the many fun occasions. Whether it was a "Welcome Week" event, "Pi Day Celebration", "Roaring 20's Murder Mystery In-Service", or "South Pacific Luau Retreat" Laura is always ready to jump in to work and play!