Although Laura Hipshire currently resides in Southeast Michigan, as the child of a U.S. Army officer she has lived in several cities across the state and nation. Now settled in Canton with her fiancé, Jeff and cat, Jessie, Laura has taken on a new role in School of Social Work Marketing and Communications Office as a part-time writer working to promote the research, academic and community engagement initiatives within the school.

What degrees do you have?

I have a BA from the University of Michigan in Communications (with a concentration in Journalism), and an MBA in Marketing from Baker College.

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

Meeting and talking to so many different types of people, including interviewing one of the original Munchkins from "The Wizard of Oz."

Where else do you work?

I just started as a senior digital copywriter at Unite Us, writing for their website, LinkedIn etc. Prior to that, I was a communications specialist at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for seven years, specializing in Medicare marketing communications.

Why did you select to work in the School of Social Work?

My son is graduating this year with an MSW degree, and I really like how social work impacts people and communities. Helping people is important to me.

What are you looking forward to most with your new role at WSU?

Learning more about the school, staff, and students as well as academic initiatives and events.

Do you have any advice for Warriors looking to promote their skills and/or projects?

Good writing is essential no matter what your chosen field is. I think it's important to have your resume written by a professional, since they will be much more objective. Social media is a great place to share accomplishments and projects. You can also start your own website (Wix is a free one) to showcase your services/skills and connecting/networking on LinkedIn and Handshake are also good ideas. It's also a smart idea to ask your mentors, employers, colleagues, student advisors, professors etc. for letters of reference before you graduate. That way you can have them ready when you are job hunting and refer to them if there are good quotes about your experience and skills.

What is one thing others may not know about you?

I was born in Landstuhl, Germany in an army hospital.

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