Wednesday Wisdom Spotlight: Dr. Laura Maloney

Each week, American College of Education is sharing #WednesdayWisdom from the sages on our staff, faculty, student and alumni rolls. This week’s wisdom comes courtesy of Dr. Laura Maloney, an adjunct instructor in the Educational Leadership department.

Dr. Laura Maloney has what you might call an eclectic background. The Florida Virtual School principal and ACE adjunct lecturer first got her start in banking, working as a teller before advancing through the ranks to become assistant vice president at the now-defunct Harbor Federal Savings Bank. Laura later worked as a tax staff accountant before transitioning into higher education nearly a decade into her career in finance. 

It was a leap she never could have foreseen but, after finding her footing, Laura realized this: If you have the faith and passion to jump, you will always land where you need to be.

“You’re never too old to start a new career, and if you do what makes you happy, it’s going to organically convey to others,” she said. “It’s hard to believe that, but it is true. There’s just so many things that are working in your favor…but when we try to control the ‘how,’ the ‘when,’ the ‘why,’ it doesn’t work. You just literally have to have faith in yourself that you’re good enough, that somebody’s going to want you for what experiences you have with you.”