About Our Founder

Born and raised in Farmington Hills, Michigan, Laura Marenco understands how scary it can be to leave the familiar for the unfamiliar. In 2004, a family move transferred her to Houston, Texas and a job offer in 2008 moved her again to the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C. After spending the majority of her life in the same house in Michigan, these two moves required Laura to start over again, having to adjust to a different way of life and make new friends. The knowledge and experiences she gained from these moves were integral to the founding of Golden Beacon USA.

Laura Marenco holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin. While working as a Training Specialist and a Career Coach for an organization in Washington, D.C., she attended Johns Hopkins University and earned a Master of Science degree in Educational Studies, concentrating on Adult Education, in 2014. She also received a graduate certificate in Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance from George Mason University’s International Coaching Federation accredited program in 2012.

In addition, Laura is TESOL-certified and teaches English as a Second Language online to students in China. She was able to pursue her interests in assisting immigrants through various volunteer positions with organizations serving newcomers who are traveling to the United States. Her work with Hogar Immigrant Services and Migration & Refugee Services, programs that are part of the Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, helped inform her work on Golden Beacon USA.

In her free time, Laura likes to daydream about where her next international travel destination will be, spend time with family and friends, catch up on the latest celebrity gossip, and dabble in art.