Laura Slingerland

Laura Slingerland is a 2008 graduate who double majored in chemistry and biology with a minor in math. Laura's career has taken her from a lab technician to a process chemist and then to a lab manager, where she is now working in mechanical engineering. In 2023, Laura and her husband moved to Germany for work, and she loved embracing German culture and enjoying the food and beer.

Life at SVSU

Laura decided to attend SVSU after receiving a full-ride scholarship. She liked chemistry in high school, so she continued pursuing it at SVSU. Along the way, she picked up a biology major and a math minor. Laura's experience in the Dow Corning co-op program provided invaluable industry exposure, giving her a competitive edge before graduating. When Laura was not busy with classwork or at work at Dow Corning, she would play hockey with her friends. Looking back now, Laura knows that she grew a lot as a person at SVSU.

Life Beyond SVSU

Since graduating in 2008, Laura has worked several technical positions in the chemical and automotive industries. Laura has lived by the philosophy that it is okay for a job to last only six months or eight years. She has been in jobs for both lengths of time, and they have gotten her to where she is today.

Before moving to Germany together in 2023, Laura and her husband worked at Webasto Group in Michigan as part of the project team manufacturing the roof for the Ford Bronco. Now, in Germany, she makes convertible rooftops for several well-known European automotive manufacturers. Her favorite part of her job is that it is integrated worldwide, so she gets to talk to and work with people from around the world.

Immersing herself in the German culture, Laura has embraced the local food, beer, and stunning natural beauty of the Bavarian Forest. She has become a soccer fan and spends her free time watching soccer, fishing, camping, and biking, and pursuing her next degree in German language.

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