Laura stands out as a shining example of the perfect package-poised, educated, beautiful, well-traveled, compassionate, gourmet chef recognized for her excellence in nursing; she’s got it all. Born in a little town in Eastern Washington to Fay and Walt Dawson, she grew up imbued with qualities we sadly see vanishing in today’s self-absorbed world. As to her nursing, everywhere she has gone, it only took a few months before the staff and doctors learned the consummate skills and professionalism she brings to her craft. Patients adore her, as attested to by the high stack of cards and letters she’s accumulated over the years. In 1997, while working as a staff R.N. at Honolulu’s Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, she was honored as the Nurse of the Year. For 17 years, she ran a successful catering business concurrently with her full-time nursing job, an effort that was undertaken to pay for Jennifer's ice skating. In her new role while at Kapiolani, she helped tiny miracles happen for infertile couples who come to the in-vitro fertilization institute she works for at the hospital. Her unique combination of years of clinical critical line thinking and compassion was much appreciated by the couples she counseled. After our return to the Seattle area, Laura fulfilled a lifelong career goal- to become a Swedish Hospital Nurse. It is one of her proudest professional achievements. She is proud of her daughter Jennifer and her many accomplishments as a competitive ice skater and coach.