Laura Ventura

Originally from Virginia Beach, VA, I first moved up in Charlottesville in 2015 for undergrad. I majored in Biology and minored in Bioethics. I have an older brother, younger sister, and a wonderful old bichon-poodle named Daisy. Around my third year of undergrad I realized my desire to become a nurse and applied to UVA's Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in the Clinical Nurse Leadership (MSN CNL) program. After I graduated in May 2019 I jumped straight into my Master's program and am pursuing a career in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.

Q&A with Laura

What brought you to the Range? 

I first heard about the range as a housing option for graduate students during my fourth year of undergrad. I used to walk down the East Range at least twice a day and was excited about the idea of living here. I attended an open house in March/April of 2019 and immediately knew this was where I wanted to be. I liked the strong sense of community that the range has and it's proximity to the nursing school, libraries, the corner, literally everywhere.

What are some of your favorite things about the Range? 

My favorite things about the range are definitely the fire places in the winter, the rocking chair, and the community. Nothing beats being able to come home after a tough day at the hospital, plopping down into your rocking chair, and chat it up with your neighbors.

What do you like to do for fun? Interests, hobbies, etc. 

I enjoy going for hikes, playing frisbee, going to the farmers market, going for runs. One of my favorite rituals is getting up and ready for clinical, making a hot beverage, and sitting outside to watch the sunrise, coming over the UVA health system buildings in front of my door, while listening to classical music on NPR.

What’s something unique about the Range that you may not find elsewhere?

The most unique thing about the range is being able to make friends with and regularly interact with people who are not in your program and who you likely would never have met if it weren't for the range!

Who should apply to live on the Range?

Anyone who is interested in meeting new people and is able to fit their entire life into a single room (which is much easier than it sounds) should definitely apply!