“When I was in fifth grade, I boldly proclaimed that, when I grew up, I wanted to be a writer and a professional swimmer. Last time I checked, I was no Michael Phelps, nor am I Judy Blume.

I have fewer Olympic medals to my name than I might have hoped for1 and no published novels to speak of.

Fifth-grade me never could have imagined that in 2014 I would be ecstatic to announce that I’m joining The Iron Yard Atlanta team as Community Manager!

Here’s a little more about me…

I’m an introvert and an only child, but community is what makes me tick. Growing up in Mississippi, where everyone seems to know everyone else, or at least one of their cousins, instilled in me a deep-seated desire to make connections between everyone I meet.

And what I’ve come to love about the Internet is the way it’s starting to bring that small-town feel to the whole world. I can know someone on Twitter who I may never sit down with over coffee. I can relate to blog posts written by someone halfway around the globe from me. And since I havegrown up to be a writer, I can contribute my voice to that community as well.

I’ve got an idealistic streak that was inspired by some adorable kids in the pool one summer when I taught swim lessons for an inner-city day camp. That streak led me to a job with a non-profit, and I wanted to make the world a better place.

But here’s the thing: technology is changing the world in ways we can barely fathom. And what excites me about The Iron Yard is that we’re empowering people to build those changes by teaching them to program.

It’ll be my job to make sure that those students have a great experience at The Iron Yard, one that is truly life-changing and enables them to go out into the workforce as developers.

I’ll be keeping our space awesome and keeping the coffee flowing freely, along with getting to know each and every student individually to help them find the perfect job once they graduate from The Iron Yard.

You’ll undoubtedly see my face at any events we host or sponsor, and you’ll read my words here and on Twitter, because I’ll be helping to make sure The Iron Yard is invested the local community.  And, I’ll be bringing my superpower to the table: organization. (What, did you miss the Marvel superhero who carries a labelmaker?)

This isn’t the Olympics. It’s a whole different pool than 10-year-old Laura intended to swim in. But I’m ready to dive in.” — Laura L.

[Photo Credit: http://i.vimeocdn.com/video/460348686_1280.jpg]