Laura hopes people get a new understanding of schizophrenia from her talk. Laura was born in Boise, Idaho and has 2 older brothers.  She currently live alone with support in Boise. She likes to go for walks and hang out with her family and friends. Mental illness flipped her life upside down.  Before she got ill she was studying psychology at BSU and working part time. Now she is not able to work or go to school. She was inspired by the speakers at the 2017 This Is My Brave show in Boise.  Hearing them made her want to get her story out there. She works hard to get as healthy as possible, both physically and mentally. She has been sober for 8 years and she quit smoking 2 years ago. She has a goal to get into some part time volunteering in the future.