Alumnae Spotlight: Laura Layman Lazarevich

Laura, a former high school choir teacher with fourteen years of experience, launched SLYC at a pivotal moment. In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, school choir programs across Northern Virginia were struggling to regain their footing. Enrollment had dipped, student confidence had faltered, and many music educators were facing unprecedented challenges rebuilding the collaborative culture essential to ensemble singing.

“I realized that to truly support students and strengthen school programs, we needed an opportunity for young singers to connect outside the school day,” Laura said. “They needed a place where they could feel safe, grow their confidence, and develop as musicians.”

That realization became the foundation for SLYC. Today, the nonprofit serves 165 students in grades 3–12 across six ensembles, supplemented by summer camps and audition workshops aimed at broadening access to music education. The organization’s mission rooted in four values, Serve, Lead, spread joY, and Care, reflects Laura’s own upbringing and early exposure to the power of collective singing.

Raised in Charlottesville, Virginia, she grew up in a deeply musical family and spent nine summers at Nakanawa as a camper and three years as a counselor thanks to the women in her family who paved the way. Laura’s grandmother, Page Hart Boteler (TR 42 & 43), her mother Alice Boteler Layman (TR 69), and her two aunts, Louise Boteler (TR 70) and Laura Boteler Butchko (TR 76) were all Nakanawa girls. Laura credits her years at camp for “helping shape my leadership style and my understanding of what young people gain from shared musical experiences.” 

Playing cards on the Crow’s Nest, making up a form swimming song to the tune of the alphabet song with Catherine McPhillips (“Breast stroke, side stroke, elementary back, this is why we love Camp Nak!…”) and being crowned prom king and queen with Garland Quinn, “are some of my most treasured memories from camp,” Laura shared.

She was a member of Octet alongside her sister, Martha Layman McKechnie (TR 06), taught choir and glee club, and embraced the close-knit environment that encouraged personal growth alongside artistic development. “Those traditions and values stuck with me,” she said. “They’re part of why I believe so strongly in the role the community plays in music-making.”

Laura has attended reunions, Service Weekend, and Mother-Daughter weekends with her daughter Claire (TR 35), sister Martha and niece Louise McKechnie (TR 36.) Her daughter and Martha’s daughters (including Page McKechnie, TR 41) will become fifth-generation Nakanawa campers, continuing the Boteler tradition. Laura’s nieces, Lindsey and Christina Butchko (TR17) filled the gap between Laura’s camping years and her daughter’s first summer. Seems there always was and always will be a Boteler at camp! 

Away from rehearsals, Laura leads a busy family life. She and her husband, Pete, a civil engineer, are raising their two children. Carson is a fourth grader who enjoys piano and sports, and Claire is a second grader who divides her interests among gymnastics, animals, and singing. Their family spends much of their time outdoors, traveling, and staying active, often juggling a hectic but fulfilling schedule. 

As SLYC expands, its role in the region’s musical landscape continues to evolve. Laura and her team are already looking ahead, aiming to increase outreach, support more schools, and provide additional pathways for young musicians to grow. “Seeing these kids thrive reminds me why this work matters. Music builds resilience. It builds community. And right now, that feels more important than ever.”