Laura Petrie grew up in Detroit, Michigan. She moved to the Upper Peninsula at age 28 to attend Michigan Technological University but switched to Northern Michigan University after one semester. In order to make friends in Marquette, she began going to The Women's Center. She volunteered in the rape program and in a program to tell high school girls about non-traditional career options. She was then hired by the Center as the facilitator of the displaced homemakers program. Subsequently, she worked for the Career Resources Center at Peter White Public Library. In recent years, she has volunteered to write business plans and do promotional work for The Women's Center's Pak Ratz Resale Shop. Other topics include how the Women's Center changed her life and her hopes for the future of the Center.