After a successful career in the United States Marine Corps and the enterprise software industry, Laura Ward feels blessed and wants to pay it forward.
This desire motivated her to enroll in the College of Communication and Information master’s program, with a focus on public relations.
“I want to use my education to help local Knoxville area nonprofits in their PR efforts. Many local organizations cannot afford the services of a professional firm, and I want to help by providing pro bono public relations assistance,” Ward said. “Retiring from a full-time career will afford me the time to focus on causes close to my heart. I am eager to contribute my skills to local groups, aiding them in their fund and awareness raising campaigns.”
This includes local nonprofits such as the Pat Summitt Foundation, which provides support to Alzheimer’s disease research, patients, and caregivers. The foundation also leads various efforts to educate the public about the disease.
Like many, Ward said the late Tennessee Lady Volunteers basketball coach Pat Summitt was her hero and one of the reasons the Alabama native eventually moved to East Tennessee. So, when she was considering local nonprofits to work with for her master’s capstone project, the Pat Summitt Foundation was on her list.
Ward said working for the foundation was rewarding both personally and professionally as she supported their marketing efforts.
“I’m hoping to continue working with the Pat Summitt Foundation and other nonprofits,” Ward said. “It’s something that I have a passion for, and I think now that I have this education, I can put it to good use to help others in causes that are important to me.”
Completing one final mission
After completing her bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and dramatic arts at Troy University, she considered joining the military or continuing her studies at UT.
The Marines reached out first.
She served 24 years, between active duty and reserve, before retiring in 2005. One of her duties as a Marine was to support recruitment in the Southeast as a public relations officer. She said this was her first exposure to public relations. Concurrently, she started working in the enterprise software field for around 20 years until just two years ago when she was offered early retirement.
Ward said she viewed it as a sign to get the UT degree she deferred as a young woman.
She was not sure what to expect when she returned to college as an adult learner. She recalls the looks on her colleagues’ faces when she walked into her first class, who thought she was the instructor. But she quickly bonded with members of her cohort in the master’s program at CCI.
“We’ve got a pretty small cohort within the public relations group,” Ward said. “Specifically, two of my classmates have been just really valuable to me and helped me feel more comfortable. It’s just been a lot of fun. I’ve enjoyed learning from them, and I hope that in some cases they’ve learned from me.”
Ward said the professors at CCI also played a part in making her feel welcomed. She is especially grateful to Associate Professor Michael Palenchar and Assistant Professor Oluseyi Adegbola, both faculty in the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations. She said, along with imparting their expertise, they made sure she was having a pleasant experience.
While Ward plans to use her degree to help the local Knoxville community, she has already built a legacy of paying it forward in her life.
Prior to coming to UT, Ward established the Claude K. and Diana K. Ward Endowed Scholarship at her alma mater in honor of her parents and to support scholarships for other students majoring in communications at Troy University, as she did as an undergraduate student.
She has also started two endowments at UT. The first is the Lt. Col. Laura D. Ward, USMC Scholarship Endowment for Veterans at UT to support active duty or veterans of the United States Armed Forces attending the university. The other is the Laura Ward and Cindy Brooks Scholarship for those pursuing a degree in public relations.
“I’ve been very fortunate. I always wanted to be able to give people the opportunities that I had, and education was very important to my parents, and I just want to try to make it possible for other people who want the same opportunities I had,” Ward said.