Laura Muller
Employment: Tobacco Control Manager at American Lung Association in Alaska
Education: B.S. Liberal Studies; Course work experience in Political Science, Government and International studies
Location: Anchorage, AK
Contact e-mail: LauraDMuller@gmail.com
Other Interests: Learning Disabilities, non-traditional students, community organizing.
Laura Muller
KEF Mentor
Laura Daigle Muller is one of the world’s few Alutiiq-Cajuns with a mother from the Village of Ouzinkie and a father from small town Louisiana. Raised as a navy-brat, she has been an Anchorage resident for the past 14 years with her Ouzinkie-Native husband, (Jack) who is a long-time Journeyman Carpenter and three children with ages ranging from preschool to middle school.
Laura was a “professional student”, stay-at-home mom, and dedicated volunteer for many years after graduating high school in 1993 but was able to finally finish earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Studies from Excelsior College in the fall of 2010, after years of course work in Political Science and Government and International studies.
She currently serves as the Tobacco Control Manager for the American Lung Association in Alaska, in the intrigue-laden field that combines grassroots advocacy principles with public health messaging to create systems and social norm change around tobacco abuse. That profession works closely with creating and coordinating community coalitions, advocacy campaigns, and public health education. In her time at ALA, Laura also worked closely with the State of Alaska to create and coordinate AkTAI: the Alaska Tobacco Advocacy Initiative, a youth-centered mini-grant program geared towards Alaska youth groups who participate in tobacco prevention advocacy activities.
In Laura’s volunteer life, she’s ranged from Girl Scout leader to Director of Patient Support for the national non-profit maternal health organization the Preeclampsia Foundation. During her time with the PF, Laura helped build and administer one of the first of its kind interactive health information online forum staffed by trained volunteers to help families suffering from high risk pregnancies.
Laura is currently participating in the Alaska Humanities Forum’s “Leadership Anchorage” Cohort, a program designed to help hone the skills of Anchorage’s emerging nonprofit and corporate leadership. In the past, Laura has attended the Midwest Academy Organizing for Social Change training in community organizing, and High/Scope, a program assisting adults supporting youth programming principles that focus on youth empowerment.
Talk to Laura about being a college student with learning disabilities or parenting a kid with LD, juggling kids and school and work, being a non-traditional student, and just how much fun community organizing is.
Have Laura and Jack bring you some smoked salmon and talk about the sometimes difficult transition after graduating from a village school and going to college, and joining a trades apprenticeship in Alaska.
Contact Laura Muller
KEF students may email Laura at LauraDMuller@gmail.com or befriend her on Facebook, where she can demonstrate in real time that if you can’t always be a good example, at least you can serve as a warning.
