Laura resides permanently in Tokyo and recently began working for a large international firm as an IT and Business Consultant. She was born in Habana, Cuba and immigrated to the United States at the age of nine. Laura first moved to Japan to pursue her graduate degree in Global Studies. She previously graduated with majors in English, Global Studies, and Japanese, with a minor in Spanish. Following graduation she worked for The International Rescue Committee, a large nonprofit organization, helping refugees resettle and become self-sufficient in Arizona. She has extensive experience volunteering in community service, serving as a family mentor for refugee families, and spending two months teaching at a children’s home in Kenya. While in Kenya, Laura was inspired by the selfless devotion of her colleagues and endeavored to raise funding to supplement the income of local teachers. Her passion for immersive travel has led her to explore Thailand, Egypt, Spain, Switzerland, Costa Rica and Cuba. She has previously directed Putney’s Middle School Costa Rica and Pre-College Tokyo programs and has served as a guide for other educational student programs across the United States. Laura is fluent in Spanish and is proficient in Japanese and Portuguese.