Pivot and Persevere-Laura Early '15
By Barbara Allison
When planning a life, most people envision an upward trajectory, complete with a list of accomplishments and attainments along the way. For alumna Laura Early ’15, founder and CEO of Heart of Gold Senior Group Home in Maricopa, Arizona, what she's mastered are pivoting and perseverance.
During a recent interview, Early, who hails from Minneapolis, Minnesota and is the goddaughter of former College Trustee Colleen Ryan, recalled the excitement of move-in weekend in August 2011. She was surrounded by her loving family and boxes stacked in the van her family rented for the trip, ready to start her next chapter. Three months later, Early was abruptly called home when her parents were shot. Her father was killed, and her mother needed chronic care following her initial recovery. “I was completely shattered with both of my parents being shot in the head, my dad being murdered. My freshman year was honestly traumatic,” Early recalled.
Through it all, she remembered Saint Mary’s being there for her. She took several weeks off from school to plan her father’s funeral and pivot into a life not of her choosing. “Saint Mary’s was very understanding, very supportive and helpful during that tragic time for me,” Early said. The College even put her in touch with a Notre Dame-Saint Mary’s grief support group. “I'm still very good friends with three of the girls. We always send each other encouraging words around the death date of our lost loved one.”
Early explored several career paths at Saint Mary’s before deciding on a Psychology major and Business minor. “Sophomore and junior years were really good years. I did a lot of coping. I did a lot of rebuilding, a lot of growth, and I just got really, really settled at Saint Mary's,” she said. It was during these years that Early resided in Le Mans Hall, was in her groove with her coursework, and was having fun in the Sisters of Nefertiti, now the Black Student Association.
“In my sophomore year, I was vice president. In my junior and senior year I was president,” Early said. Planning campus events was the most fun, according to Early. Their Halloween parties were legendary. “We would get together and throw events, and have these safe space opportunities where we would talk. Sometimes we would even do homework together, and just have these different bonding opportunities,” she said.
When it comes to entrepreneurship, the key is really endurance and perseverance. When you're your own boss, there is no PTO, no sick time. There is no off at five. There are no days off...It’s about having the heart to persevere, and having the heart to pivot.
- Laura Early '15
In her junior year, Early discovered she was pregnant. Again, she felt supported by Saint Mary’s as she pivoted into this new chapter of her life. She gave birth to her daughter Ava in June 2014, two months before her senior year began. She remained in school and moved into an off-campus apartment with her daughter, all while working and attending classes. “In my senior year, I became a mother. And I graduated. I walked with my class.”
“I personally think that college prepares a person for the corporate world. It teaches you structure, it teaches you schedule, it teaches you routine. And I couldn't imagine being this successful without having gone to Saint Mary's,” Early said. She’s worked in various fields of accounting and finance before opening her first group home in Arizona.
After her parents were shot, Early’s mother had some special needs as she recovered. “She lived in a group home for seven years, so I've always had this deep appreciation for how group homes and their staff helped my family. I wanted to give that same type of commitment in my own way." Early opened her first group home in 2023.
“When it comes to entrepreneurship, the key is really endurance and perseverance,” Early said. “When you're your own boss, there is no PTO, no sick time. There is no off at five. There are no days off. I've truly gone through every emotion with opening and starting and running this business. There were days where I laughed and enjoyed it, there were days where I cried and was heartbroken. It’s about having the heart to persevere, and having the heart to pivot.”
As she and her fiancé Alando prepare for the birth of their a son, Alando Jr.—due on Valentine's Day 2026—Early is pivoting again. Her previous group home model was for teenagers, and she’s recently reapplied for and received her license for a group home for seniors. It’s a business model that better suits the stage of life Early’s entering as she becomes a mother of two. “I feel like I'm at a place in my life where I want to learn. I want some wisdom shared with me. And who better to share life and wisdom than the people who've been there, people who lived through it,” Early said.
Last May, Early attended her 10 year Reunion with Alando, and cherished the experience of reconnecting with classmates and revisiting campus. “I was so emotional staying in Le Mans. Just being back, that whole sense of home flooded me, and it just overwhelmed me. I just felt so much at peace. I felt like, ‘Oh, I'm finally home.’”
October 22, 2025