Laura J. Connelly

As a child, Laura Connelly learned the importance of a compassionate community—the value of people who feed you when you are hungry, who give you shelter when you are fleeing violence, who support you without judgment. Her work over the past 12 years in the field of domestic violence has reinforced this need for community, but also for long-term economic security for women who leave violent situations. With her Bush Fellowship, Laura will strengthen her cross-sector leadership skills to be a more effective agent of change for rural families seeking freedom from domestic violence.