Laurina is a writer, therapist, advocate and mentor for teen trafficking survivors. Originally from Liberia, Laurina was trafficked by relatives upon her emigration to the United States with her mother, but did not acknowledge this part of her story until one fateful encounter during her undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University. She then became a voice for trafficking survivors and purposed to educate and call attention to the different types of trafficking and its dangers to young people. She began an organization during her graduate studies in Corpus Christi to teach students about trafficking and assisted the Texas Coastal Bend Regional Human Trafficking Task Force in various projects.

Laurina has suffered several losses in recent years, including the deaths of her parents a few weeks apart. However, she refuses to be deterred from hope, stating that “if there’s so much evil in the world, there must be so much good.” She is often found shouting “yay Jesus” every time something good happens because she believes Jesus is her lifeline and her greatest source of inspiration.