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Chaplain Laura Biddle is so much more than the woman who says the prayer at graduation. Discover ten things you never about the head of Spiritual Life at SSU:

1. She is a puppeteer. “When my children were young, I purchased a puppet to entertain them. After a few years of collecting puppets, I started performing around New England. Today I teach puppeteering at Wheelock College in a course titled ‘Using Puppets for Emotional Literacy in Children.’"
2. She is a guitarist, singer and songwriter. “As a guitar player and song writer, I combined music and puppets to create a CD titled ‘Wild Thing.’”
3. She is a potter and enjoys creating her own unique pottery in her spare time.
4. She guides a weekly walking meditation every Thursday at 4 pm starting in room 219 of the Ellison Campus Center in room 219. “Centering the body and mind, releasing fear and anxiety, trusting our inner guidance systems, clearing the mind, and opening the heart are just a few of the benefits of meditation.”
5. She is a motorcyclist who enjoys riding through the mountains of New England.
6. She is a counselor for military families grieving a family member lost to suicide. “In 2009, I helped launch an annual seminar for military families grieving suicide with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS). Each year, leaders in the field of suicide gather with raw and vulnerable military families who have lost a service member or veteran to suicide. I participate in the week-long seminar by offering workshops on hope and healing, a worship service of remembrance, writing workshops, walking meditations, and one-to-one grief counseling.”
7. She is a single mother of three children and a grandmother of a one-year-old.
8. She is the minister at Nahant Village Church.
9. She was a dance major in college and has visited Salem State dance classes to offer guidance.
10. She loves to write motivational messages. When asked what she would tell her 20-year-old self Laura replied, “Love who you have become and trust that who you are becoming is perfectly aligned with your passions and your sense of purpose. You matter just as you are. You have unique gifts to channel in directions that you cannot begin to imagine. Let your spirit rise and see what is revealed to you!”

Why should you visit this inspiring woman? “To talk and be heard; to walk and be centered; to grieve a difficult loss; to explore a spiritual journey; to find a connection between oneself and one's purpose and passion. If you don't know how you feel or what's going on inside of you, we can find a way to ground you and give you hope. If you are afraid, come to the safe haven of Spiritual Life.”

The Spiritual Life office is open to students of all faith traditions as well as students who don’t identify with any specific denomination.