Lara Leonberger began a degree in History at Truman State University with the intention of becoming a History teacher, and later transferred to UMSL where she graduated in 2010. She earned a bachelor’s degree in both Secondary Education and History. She continued her education at UMSL, earning a Master’s in History. Lara worked as a T.A. while continuing her studies. She completed her student teaching, but realized education wasn’t her passion. She still wanted a career helping people, and began her career in Learning and Development with Dierbergs. Lara now works for Nestle Purina as a Manager of Functional Development. She is in charge of managing the curriculum of all development. Throughout her career, Lara has taught soft skills, hard skills, facilitated classes, and organize meetings. Her studies in education have helped her organize curriculum and teach adults skills to succeed in the workplace. In her role, it is important to be a quick study. She is expected to be able to teach any topic, so the reading and analyzing skills she gained through her History classes is valuable. She writes many proposals, utilizing her experience writing historical arguments. Through the study of history and education, Lara has developed critical skills that transfer to her professional life.
