Laura J. Cole ’04 ’08MLS

A reader at heart and storyteller by trade, Laura J. Cole has nearly two decades of experience in higher-education marketing and communications, where she’s helped shape the voice, vision, and impact of various institutions through strategic, story-driven content. At both her alma mater of Rollins College and the University of Central Florida (UCF), she led marketing efforts to bring each campus’ people, experiences, and achievements to life across a range of platforms. Now a full-time freelance writer, editor, and content consultant, Cole works with colleges and universities across the country, including Rollins, Bowdoin, Georgetown, Iowa State, Sewanee, and UCF.

She credits the liberal arts education she received at Rollins—and her English major, specifically—with teaching her to think critically, write effectively, and engage meaningfully with the world. At Rollins, her love of learning, traveling, and the environment took root. She received valued encouragement and guidance from respected faculty, and she came to understand the value of a life guided by purpose, curiosity, and connection.

Cole lives in Portland, Oregon, with her partner and their pup, Vanderlyle the Great. Outside work, she can often be found reading, photographing nature, exploring new-to-her places, and trying to learn the names of the different flowers, trees, and mushrooms she encounters.