Dr. Laura Lessen '08

As the third girl in my family, I had been around Mount de Sales for a few years at summer camps and sporting events before I started as a student myself. I remember being so excited when I shadowed to see what a day there was really like, and I even wore a light blue skirt and white shirt so I would look like a Mount de Sales girl. My time at MDSA certainly lived up to the hype. I made lifelong friendships, grew in my faith, and was prepared academically for my future.

 

Following graduation, I went on to earn my B.S. in Chemistry from UMBC and my Doctorate in Molecular Biophysics from Johns Hopkins University. I am currently an Expert Scientist at GSK Vaccines doing preclinical vaccine research. From freshman West Civ with Mr. Evans to Honors Precalculus with Mr. Posner, the knowledge, and skills I developed and the academic challenges I faced laid a solid foundation that enabled me to get to where I am today.

 

I had the privilege of coming back to MDSA in January to present at Career Day. Seeing how much the Science Department has grown and the opportunities the students have since my time there is impressive and exciting. I was glad to share with them how the fundamentals I learned at MDSA in AP Biology are vital to my daily work in vaccine development. But leaving that day, after closing prayer, as I walked through the basement hallways past the locker rooms, I saw the bonds of friendship and sisterhood of faith and love that are the core of the MDSA family. It is the same joyful community that made me eager to attend MDSA many years ago and that I plan to continue to share with my family through Spaghetti Dinners and Easter Egg Hunts for years to come.