Laurie Halse Anderson, '81

Laurie is a novelist whose books have become required reading for young adults, providing them with an outlet as they undergo transformations in their lives. She underwent her own transformation as a college student. “OCC is where I found my mind. I needed to grow up and get disciplined. The quality of the professors made a huge difference in my life. There was something about the attention I got from them that has never left me. It meant a great deal toward guiding me on the path to more education and more self-discovery.” Laurie is one of OCC’s distinguished Alumni Faces honorees and a recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award from the American Association of Community Colleges.