SPOTLIGHT CAMPAIGN: Laura Murvartian for GA-HD48
I come from a family of immigrants. My paternal grandfather migrated to Mexico after losing both of his parents in the Armenian Genocide. My parents made the decision to move their family from Mexico to the United States when I was eight years old to seek better opportunities for us.
In St. James, Minnesota (population 4,200), my parents worked hard to build a stable and financially secure life for us. When we first arrived, my parents worked in chicken and meat processing plants and in any other job they could find. They instilled a strong work ethic by example, and I have vivid memories of summers spent bean walking with my mother when I was in middle school, working side-by-side with my father at the corn processing plant on the overnight shift, corn-detasseling with my sister Susan, and working in the chicken processing plant myself—all during my high school years.
I remember my parents’ demeanor during these times; no matter the job they had, they were never embarrassed or ashamed. They just went to work with dignity. I also remember my father having a reputation for never missing work, never being late, and never complaining. My parents worked hard in their pursuit of the American Dream, and they were able to give us a life that exceeded their expectations. I am running for office because that dream my parents achieved through hard work is slipping away for too many families living in Georgia and in this district.
After graduating from high school, I became the first in my family to earn a college degree. I received a BA in Political Science with honors from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN. I was then awarded the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, which allowed me to pursue a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the University of Michigan with a focus on International Economics. I graduated from Michigan with a job offer from the Federal Reserve Bank.
Following my stint at the Federal Reserve, I moved to Atlanta and served as a corporate executive at multiple Fortune 500 companies, including Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. and Equifax. During this chapter of my career, I was a senior negotiator working on deals across North America worth up to $50 million in IT infrastructure and data products. I took time out of my corporate career to start my own small business as the Georgia Area Developer for a national wine franchise, opening their Georgia flagship store and helping other small business owners get off the ground.
https://www.lauramurvartian.com/