Ms. Schweers graduated from Newcomb College of Tulane University with a B.A. in English and History before attending the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, graduating with an A.O.S. in Culinary Arts. After graduation, Laura cooked in Napa Valley and Los Angeles before leaving the kitchen to work at the USC University Center for Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. When first joining the Sonoran UCEDD in 2008, she worked on projects in the area of health promotion. Since 2009, Ms. Schweers has served as the Statewide Coordinator for the AZ Project SEARCH initiative. Project SEARCH is a competitive employment training program for youth and young adults with disabilities.