Laura Orella, Neighbor

I am a Los Altos Hills resident with fourth grade twins. My husband Steve and I moved here in 2000 from Palo Alto. I teach English at DeAnza Community College. Prior to that, I taught at San Francisco State University.

My journalism career began in my home state of New York when I took an internship at my town newspaper. After graduating from University of New York at Stony Brook, I was hired as a news and features reporter for a Long Island weekly before heading to a daily position at the Staten Island Advance. When I moved to California in 1993, I took a position for the Contra Costa Times newspapers, working as a news, features and education reporter at the Ledger-Dispatch, Valley Times, San Ramon Valley Times and Contra Costa Times.

When I am not working, you can find me volunteering at Loyola or helping lead programs such as Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, MVLAGS softball and whatever civics projects friends and family sign me up for.

I love life and try to lead with a positive foot forward. My main goal is to teach my children how to be good and respectful citizens of the world and to be their own best advocates.