Laurie (Arnold) Groff
Class of 2002
Posted on October 17, 2022
Laurie (Arnold) Groff is a wife, working mom, and Heritage alumni (‘02). She is also an independent business owner. After graduating from Heritage, Laurie went off to Gordon College, a Christian school just north of Boston, where she participated in the swim program and earned a degree in biblical studies (concentration in biblical languages). Following college, Laurie went on to complete a master’s degree in Biblical Languages from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary, and work at Gordon as part of the Hebrew language program and as the assistant swim coach. Her personal story, however, is what led to her current passion for health and wellness and jump-started her career as a certified aromatherapist.
A little more than fifteen years ago, Laurie and her husband, Ryan, started on their journey to parenthood. Unfortunately, childbirth didn't go as planned and Laurie almost died during the birth of two of her four children. Following those two terrifying experiences, Laurie’s youngest child was born at just 29 weeks and they almost lost him, as well. Those events took a toll on Laurie’s health, she began to experience a number of physiological symptoms related to the trauma and was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
While Laurie struggled to cope with her trauma, she found that conventional treatment methods were not helping. “I cautiously dipped my toe into essential oils, not really thinking they would do much, but I was all out of ideas,” Laurie said. “We have been completely blown away at how much they have helped our family for both our mental and physical well-being,” she explained. Laurie’s experiences with using essential oils for improving health and wellness are what prompted her to start her own business, Unconventional Wellness.
“I am forever grateful for advances in medicine,” Laurie said. “It saved my life and my son’s life, but I also love learning about natural modalities in the health and wellness space and how they can support our wellbeing,” she added. She is grateful for having had the opportunity to learn the science behind aromatherapy – a line of work that has given her the opportunity to work with organizations like the Ronald McDonald house in NYC, and other wellness spaces that support families going through some of the same struggles. “I look forward to continuing my knowledge in this field,” stated Laurie.
Today, Laurie recalls how much she loved her teachers and coaches at Heritage, as well as the friendships that have continued after graduation. She is happily living in Massachusetts with her husband and four children.
Note: Aromatherapy is a holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being. It is meant to be a complementary therapy. It is not meant to replace any doctor-approved treatment plan. Always talk to your doctor before starting any aromatherapy treatment.