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Alumni

Building Stronger Families, Together

January 19, 2026

A woman with glasses smiling and standing with her hand on her hip outdoors.

Double UVic grad Laura Doan is a leader in the complex field of early childhood education and the author of a brave new memoir about her mother’s journey with Alzheimer’s.

  • Name: Laura Doan
  • UVic degrees: BA in Child and Youth Care ’94, MEd in Early Childhood Education ’04.
  • Other degrees and accreditations: In 2014, Doan completed a doctor of education in leadership in the post-secondary setting at the University of Calgary.
  • Current role: Professor of early childhood education at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC, where she has taught and conducted research for 26 years. 
  • Other roles: Doan’s first book, The Induction of Early Childhood Educators: Retention, Needs, and Aspirations was published by Bloomsbury Academic in 2024. Doan’s second book, She's Still My Mom: Navigating Your Loved One's Journey with Alzheimer's, was published by Friesen Press in 2025.
  • Doan also founded the Peer Mentoring Program for Early Childhood Educators in BC, a program that is now housed at ECEBC, the professional association representing early childhood educators in BC.
A woman with glasses standing beside a screen delivering a Power Point presentation..

What drew you to this field?

I grew up in a family with parents who were teachers, who worked hard both in their classrooms and in their local community, and I credit my parents, Bob and Mary Gretsinger, for instilling in me a desire to work in a profession where I could make a difference in the lives of children and families. 

What is something fundamental you would like people to understand about early childhood education?

In our society, it is easy to take the view that early childhood education is simple work, when the opposite is true. Early childhood education is complex, intellectual and multi-faceted. It is my belief that early childhood educators deserve to be recognized for the work they do and should have access to ongoing professional-learning opportunities to support the ever-changing field of work.

What is your advice to students and fellow UVic alumni who are interested in your career path?

Be open to change on your academic journey. My original intent was to follow in my parents’ path and was taking prerequisites for the Bachelor of Education degree, but after taking a course on child psychology, I knew I wanted to work with children and families in a different capacity, and I applied to the School of Child and Youth Care. 

How is mentorship important to an early childhood educator?

In my opinion, mentorship is important to early childhood education as it is a profession that requires continual reflection, learning and growth. This is not easily done on one’s own, and having a peer mentor who is there to listen, support, challenge and walk the path with you can be invaluable. No educator should be alone, and this is why I started The Peer Mentoring Program for Early Childhood Educators in BC. After 10 years of research, I know the value of participation in a peer mentoring community of practice.

As an educator, what do you see in the future for your students who pursue this path?

Advocacy for children, families, and educators has always been part of early learning and child care, and the need for advocacy continues. I hope for a future where early learning programs are funded fully, where early childhood educators are recognized as professionals and are paid accordingly and have access to ongoing professional learning, where children and families have access to quality early learning and care programs that are available and responsive to community needs. 

Cover of a book titled She's Still My Mom: Navigating Your Loved One's Journey with Alzheimer's by Laura K Doan.

What made you chose to publish a very personal book about your mother’s journey with Alzheimer’s?

My mom was a very open person, someone who shared her story to make a difference. This was modelled to me, and I knew my mom would approve of this very personal telling of our story. My hope is to help remove the stigma surrounding Alzheimer’s. As well, I wanted to share how my early childhood education and child and youth care background was instrumental to me in adapting to my mom.

What has been the response to the book?

The response to the book, She’s Still My Mom, has been very good. The feedback I have received has been positive. One person described the book as being “like a kind friend walking the journey with you.” One reviewer put it this way: “She’s Still My Mom is a rare book that unites academic rigor with sensitivity and sound advice for people caring for or living with a person with Alzheimer’s.” I have heard that the content has been helpful for people who are on the journey of Alzheimer’s, for those who have lived through this in the past and for people who are interested in learning more.

How did writing the book change or help you?

Writing the book, She’s Still My Mom, helped me to process what I was thinking, observing, feeling and doing with my mom. I wrote the book over a four-year period, beginning when my mom was still alive. Writing the book helped me to focus on a strengths-based perspective with my mom, rather than a deficit perspective.

What’s next? What would you still like to accomplish?

Believe it or not, I want to write another book! I have a book proposal out for peer-review, and I am looking forward to co-editing and co-authoring this book, later in 2026. This time the book will include 18 co-authors. Stay tuned for more information.

—Jenny Manzer, BA '97