Laurie McLaughlin ’88

Town & Gown is proud to kick off the new year by featuring the first recipient of a T&G scholarship, freelance writer and editor Laurie McLaughlin, who was awarded the inaugural scholarship during the 1984 academic term and was the proud recipient through her senior year. When asked what influenced her to select Chapman for her undergraduate education, Laurie responded:  “I grew up in the Beaumont First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and, luckily, I always knew I was going to Chapman. Many local church members attended Chapman, as well as my family members.”

Laurie graduated in 1988 with a major in communications; she has actively applied her education and skills in her career and her “life after Chapman.” She moved to Washington, D.C. right after graduating from Chapman and worked simultaneously for years as a researcher at the Washington Post and as an editor of Washington Flyer Magazine. Laurie then decided to join the Peace Corps. She served on the small Caribbean Island of St. Kitts for three years and was a reporter for their only news channel. She was additionally doing public relations for the government’s tourism ministry, the National Emergency Management Agency, and several other departments and community organizations. Following her Peace Corps service, she returned to California as a freelance writer/journalist, and her first client was Chapman University! Today, as a successful communications professional, Laurie has many clients, most of which are universities.

Laurie treasures many fond memories of her years at Chapman. She was deeply involved in student government, which has yielded many great memories of all kinds of social and political activities. She also traveled to both Washington, D.C., and Russia during interterm courses, which she states “really opened my eyes to the world. Like most Chapman alumni, I made lifelong friends during those four years, and those same folks are my closest friends today.”

Chapman Friends – Lajos Petro MFA ’01, Laurie McLaughlin ’88 and Casey Kasprzyk ’01

Laurie cites three Chapman professors who greatly influenced her career and significantly influenced her future: Jay Boylan, Janell Shearer, and Myron Yeager. “In my career, I have repeatedly used what I learned from Jay’s broadcast courses, Janell’s public relations courses, Myron’s journalism courses, and his Panther newspaper staff.”

After nearly 40 years, Laurie remains deeply grateful for the scholarship she received as an undergraduate. “The Town & Gown scholarship was very valuable to me because my education was funded through loans and scholarships. The confidence that Town & Gown members had in me, and the financial support they provided was a wonderful, unexpected honor. I am very thankful.”

Panther Pride! Laurie with her nephew and Pete!