You’re walking through the halls of Enloe when suddenly you see a flash of flannel, you notice small specks of paint, you hear the “clink” of earrings, and the “meow” of a cat named Juno. A mysterious girl walks by. “Who is this well-dressed, confident person?” you ask yourself. The answer is Laura Kohli, avid writer, artist, and advocate.
While Eagles might be familiar with Laura’s kindness or general cool vibe after talking to her in an art class or in one of her clubs, what they might not know is that Laura has exhibited this cool and kind vibe since childhood. “In first grade, Laura and I met; we were in the same class, and she saw I got a good grade on a test, and she was just learning how to wink, and so she winked at me,” longtime friend Isabella Knight recalled.
Laura and Isabella have been friends ever since, with Laura’s kindness being exceptionally clear, noted Isabella. “She’s just the kind of person that’s not gonna abandon anyone at any point.” Together, the two of them lead The Butterfly Effect (TBE), Enloe’s women’s empowerment club.
“[The Butterfly Effect] creates a space in Enloe where people feel safe sharing things that they wouldn’t normally share,” explained Isabella, discussing the importance of the club. “Half the people that come to our meetings come once or twice and don’t really know anyone there, except one or two people, so it’s a space where people can be vulnerable and talk about issues that are on their minds but might feel weird talking about out loud.”
As Co-Presidents, Laura and Isabella serve a variety of roles, including organizing the club’s seasonal donation drives and picking up open volunteer shifts. But Isabella makes it clear just how instrumental Laura is to the club’s success. “She’s been really, really good about keeping me and the rest of the board and herself too, on top of everything. I think the only reason The Butterfly Effect survived this year is because of her willingness to work around other people’s conflicts and schedules.”
These efforts have helped TBE make a tangible impact at Enloe and beyond. Isabella notes that “we put pads in the Enloe bathrooms, and it’s helped so many people. I’ve had so many people come up to me and Laura and be like, ‘thank you so much.’”
Those who know Laura know her kindness and integrity extend far beyond her work in TBE and are core parts of her personality. “She is not afraid to tell you the truth, the cold hard truth, ever … That being said, she’s also going to fight so hard to defend you and make sure that you’re not being wronged in any way,” said Isabella.
Gibson Wood, close friend of Laura, echoed this sentiment. “Whenever anyone has a problem, they always go to her, and she helps talk through it … she always helps people get to the root of their problems and work through them.”
Laura’s work helping others won’t end when she leaves Enloe. Laura plans to major in Political Science at UNC Chapel Hill so she can continue to make a difference. “[The] Butterfly Effect definitely had a huge impact on her choice in that,” Isabella explained. “Where I see her after she graduates … is just making a difference at a nonprofit, and using all of her skills that she’s built.”
This passion and drive are present in everything she does, notes Gibson. “She knows what she wants, and she’ll go after it. [She’s] grounded.”
At Enloe, Laura explored her interest in political science and international relations by founding International Governments Club during her junior year. Inspired by one of her favorite classes, AP Comparative Government and Politics, International Governments Club holds monthly meetings to discuss different international topics related to policy and human rights.
But TBE and International Governments Club aren’t the only ways Laura supports her community: she also works as co-Editor-in-Chief of The Eagle’s Eye. Whether it’s forming a welcoming class culture from Day 1, brainstorming article ideas, keeping staff writers on top of deadlines, editing for grammar and style, or picking articles for print, Laura is there every step of the way.
Even before becoming Editor-in-Chief, Laura was making her mark on the paper by leading one of the most important sections. Previously working as News Editor, Laura’s in-class leadership was always apparent, ensuring timely articles of high quality. Leadership isn’t the only thing that makes Laura such a large part of The Eagle’s Eye, though. Her insightful articles on everything from Met Gala looks as AP Exams, to public vs. private schools in competition, or even call-to-action political opinions show her ability to write beautifully on both the most serious and whimsical of issues.
Gibson notes creativity as a core detail of who Laura is “in every way in her life.” Whether it’s problem solving, technical jobs, or leadership, she’s successful because “she’s good at thinking outside the box.” This creativity manifests in her prominent role in the Enloe Visual Art department. She’s taken both AP 2D Design and AP Drawing, in addition to contributing her time outside of school through National Art Honors Society.
It’s important to note that Laura hasn’t just changed the Enloe organizations she’s a part of; they’ve changed her. Gibson explained that throughout high school, Laura’s become “a lot more able to focus on herself and her own goals … she’s gotten really good at just making sure that she’s where she needs to be.” Isabella agreed, noting, “she’s definitely become more confident and aware of herself.”
Laura has grown into a confident, caring person, and that growth has rubbed off onto those close to her. “Yeah, I think as the years went by, [Laura’s] really found her own personal style,” said Elika Harsh, who has known Laura since 6th grade. “I feel like Laura has always really influenced me to come out of my shell.”
Laura is never afraid to express who she is, whether it be in her writing and visual art or her day-to-day life. “I feel like Laura has really interesting taste in music and art and things, and she’s introduced me to a lot of ‘niche’ indie bands that I wouldn’t have found otherwise,” noted Elika, who excitedly noted that she and Laura had plans to see ‘Melt’ live.
“To me, Laura’s the friend that I’ll reach out to when there’s something that I want to do, and it’s just really random, and it sounds like it might not be fun at all,” continued Elika. “She’s always willing to do and try things.”
Elika specifically recounted an experience her and Laura shared last year. “I had these family friends, and they were giving a talk about their hiking trip. And I was like, ‘hey, Laura, do you want to come see these random people’s slideshow about their hiking trip?’ And she was like, ‘sure.’ So we pulled up to the REI and sat there for an hour looking at their pictures.”
Laura is confident in herself as a person, but still always looking for a way to support others. Even though she isn’t formally on the board for Enloe’s Literary Organization (ELO), anyone who shares a class or club with Laura is sure to have heard her excitedly campaign for them to attend ELO’s open mic night. “It shows she can care about things that aren’t necessarily her own responsibility,” explained Elika.
Moving into the next chapter of her life, Laura’s confidence, kindness, and creativity will bring her far, whether it’s brightening a room in Chapel Hill or making groundbreaking strides in her future career. The Eagle’s Eye will greatly miss its Editor-in-Chief, but we know she’ll do incredible things.
