This week, the EducationNC team is traveling across the state, from the mountains to the coast, on bikes! We are excited to see schools and meet teachers and students from all parts of North Carolina. We started today in Jefferson and stopped by Traphill Elementary School in Wilkes County (though it was closed for the weekend). The ride was hilly and cold, but the gorgeous scenery made the climbs worthwhile.
Follow along on our journey with #LoveNC and share what you love most about the Tar Heel state.
Laura Lee
Laura Lee is the former content director and managing editor for EducationNC and the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research.
Born and raised in Union County, North Carolina, Laura attended Benton Heights Elementary School, Unionville Elementary School, Charlotte Latin Middle School, and Piedmont High School. She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies. After graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked as an educator with a civic education organization and then as a program administrator for two Fulbright grant programs.
She received her J.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill School of Law in 2007. In law school, she served as president of the Student Bar Association and was a Davis Society inductee. She also holds a certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Laura briefly strayed from her Tar Heel allegiance in 2011 to obtain a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland where she was an Eleanor Merrill Fellow. She then worked at NPR producing content for the Washington desk, All Things Considered and Talk of the Nation.
From 2013 to 2017, Laura oversaw daily production of North Carolina Public Radio WUNC’s The State of Things, first as assistant news director for talk programming and then as managing editor.