Paoli High School alumna Lora Laswell graduated in 1982. Laswell attended Paoli from kindergarten through graduation, and stayed even after graduating for her job and her family. While in high school, Laswell played volleyball as a setter and basketball as a guard. During Laswell’s high school years, sports had more of an impact on her compared to the actual school material, as well as her coaches more than her teachers.

“Ms. Baker and Ms. Phillips made an impact on my life when I was in high school. They were both my coaches, and I could go to them for anything, and still could. Ms. Phillips was my coach when my dad died. I was 13 when he died, and she helped me through that a lot,” said Laswell.

Besides volleyball and basketball, Laswell was also in chess club and worked in the summer at the vocational school in Rego for low income families.

“I didn’t really have high school jobs; I just worked through the summer. I worked at the vocational school when I was 14, and I got paid $3.65 an hour,” said Laswell.

Laswell now works for Paoli High School, acting as a groundskeeper, doing bus maintenance and helping coach girls basketball. She is married to her husband of 28 years, David Laswell, and has two kids, Logan and McKinzie.

Laswell doesn’t have any regrets from high school, but she did enjoy her time as a student.

“I loved attending PHS. I cried at graduation because I knew I would have to work full time and I would miss my friends. My advice to students today is to enjoy your life as a teenager and choose something you love to do as your career because if you love what you do, it makes it easier to go to work,” said Laswell.

Story by Gracie Walls