Laura Richards has a Master of Global Policy Studies and MBA from UT Austin, and a BA in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz. She has over 5 years of experience in nonprofit management, program supervision, teaching, and crisis counseling. Her professional roles include graduate teaching assistant, program supervisor, behavioral specialist, tutor, and residential counselor. She also has leadership experience as a crisis hotline responder, ESL instructor, peer counselor, and 4-H camp director. Richards has received several academic and leadership honors. She is proficient in English, French, and basic Spanish with skills in teaching, project management, data analysis, and cultural competency.

1. Laura Richards
laurarichards@utexas.edu ▪ Phone: 707.483.9430 ▪ Address: 101 Franklin Blvd B, Austin, TX 78751
EDUCATION
Master of Global Policy Studies, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas, Austin, May 2018
Master of Business Administration, McCombs School of Business, University of Texas, Austin, May 2018
 Portfolio: Nonprofit Management
 Specialization: International Development
 Research Affiliate, Innovations for Peace and Development
Bachelor of Arts, Intensive Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz, March 2012
 Cumulative GPA: 3.78, Graduated Cum Laude, Honors in Psychology, Dean’s Honors
 Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Psychology
 Research Assistant, Social Psychological Research
Semester Abroad at University of California Study Center, Paris, France, 2010
 French Immersion Program, French 5
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Graduate Teaching Assistant
McCombs School of Business, Finance Department, Austin, TX. Aug 2015 – Present
 Organize group projects, evaluate student progress, and facilitate student-professor communication.
 Provide technical assistance, and grade and proctor exams for Business Finance and Financial Analysis.
Program Supervisor
Ryther, Seattle, WA. Nov 2012 – July 2015
 Directed and developed the program further through trainings, team building, and providing staff
support and feedback.
 Led weekly staff meeting for 18 staff, providing conflict resolution & guidance on therapeutic
interventions.
 Managed payroll, performance appraisals, petty cash, hiring, corrective actions, and disciplinary actions.
Behavior Specialist 2
 Received Individual Achievement Award in Dec 2014 for leadership and going above and beyond
responsibilities and Team Achievement Award in Dec 2012 for effective collaboration during crisis.
 School Liaison; collaborated with teachers on individualized incentive programs to improve clients’
performance.
 Cultural Lead; coordinated cross-campus cultural events and collaborated with clients on individual
presentations.
 Facilitated a weekly group on social skills; facilitated groups on coping skills and cultural awareness.
Bilingual Tutor
ATAC Tutoring, Seattle, WA. Nov 2012 – June 2013
 Instructed students at a private high school in French and Spanish languages and culture.
Residential Counselor
Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center, Corralitos, CA. May – Oct 2012
 Initiated team-building experiences for a group of six, enhancing clients’ self-esteem and ability to relate
to others.
 Spearheaded fundraising efforts to initiate a graduate retention program.
 Coached 12 high-risk youth in transitioning to patterns of healthy behavior.

2. LEADERSHIP/ SERVICE
Crisis Hotline Responder & Outreach Assistant
Family Service Agency, Santa Cruz, CA. Dec 2011-Oct 2012
 Facilitated group trainings for volunteers to increase competency and mitigate misjudgment.
 Delivered presentations to classes to raise awareness about suicide and available resources for support.
 Provided crisis management, counseling, and resources to suicidal callers.
Secretary
Golden Key International Academic Honor Society, Sept 2011 – June 2012
 Coordinated outreach event which more than tripled membership increasing funding and participation.
 Contributed actively to strategic planning for activities that promoted literacy in the community.
Program Outreach Director & Instructor
Women’s Center, Santa Cruz, CA. Oct 2011 - June 2012
 Taught English as a Second Language (ESL) courses enabling 13 students to communicate more
effectively.
 Developed and implemented program improvements, including the addition of a child ESL course,
which tripled the participant retention rate.
 Increased volunteer base by 200% through recruiting and training efforts.
Peer Counselor & Tutor
Santa Rosa School District, CA. Sept 2005 - June 2008
 Provided youth crisis management and tutoring, enhancing self-confidence and academic performance.
 Nominated President of the program for strengthening the training for new counselors.
 Received Community Service Award for exceptional performance in developing the program.
4-H Summer Camp Director and Counselor
Las Posadas, CA. Sept 2003 - July 2007
 Managed bi-weekly trainings/meetings for 30 staff ensuring efficiency and encouraging enthusiasm
resulting in high productivity, staff satisfaction, and met deadlines.
 Assigned jobs to staff, designed daily agenda and activities, handled staff and campers discipline issues.
 Designed and led educational activities for 120 campers increasing campers’ knowledge base.
ACADEMIC HONORS
Crook Fellow, Innovative Research Intern in Uganda, University of Texas, Austin
AidData Fellow, Training and Policy Advocacy Intern in Uganda, University of Texas, Austin
Phi Beta Kappa,Academic Honor Society, top 4% of all University of California, Santa Cruz graduates
Golden Key, International Academic Honor Society, top 15% of University of California, Santa Cruz
 Leadership Position: Secretary, June 2011 – June 2012
Psi Chi, National Honor Society in Psychology, for major GPAs of 3.5 or higher
SKILLS & TRAININGS
 Professional Skills: Teaching/Training, Project Management, Event Planning, Outreach, Quantitative
and Qualitative Data Analysis, Clear Communication, Strategic Planning, Collaboration.
 Graduate Training: ArcGIS, STATA, Excel, Impact Evaluation, Leadership, Management, Accounting,
Marketing, Cultural Competency.
 Language Skills: English (fluent), French (proficient), Spanish (basic).
 Certifications: Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, Suicide Prevention, HIV/AIDS, Blood Born Pathogens,
First Aid, CPR.