Laura Taylor

Laura joins the Study Smart Tutors team as the Associate Director of Education and is eager to continue her mission of creating a more equitable and inclusive education system! Laura holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy Leadership from the University of Mississippi and a Masters of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University. As a classroom teacher, she obtained certifications in Secondary English Education, Special Education, and Teaching English as a Foreign Language. While working for District of Columbia Public Schools, she taught English, Public Speaking, and Debate for students in grades 10-12 where she discovered her passion for college and career readiness.

Laura channeled this passion into work with first-generation college students as the Literacy and Academic Prep Program Manager of an educational non-profit, Leap Year. The organization uses an intergenerational approach to improving literacy and college enrollment results in metro-Atlanta by recruiting high school graduates to serve as reading coaches in Atlanta Public Schools through a gap year program.

Raised in rural Virginia, Laura has moved from Mississippi to our nation’s capitol to the peach state, where she’s been calling Atlanta home since 2021! Off the clock, Laura is a self-proclaimed foodie who loves to try new restaurants and coffee shops, is never without her Kindle, and is always on the hunt for the best spots for live music.