Every morning, the Hulen/Clement Hall office fills with laughter. Behind the front desk, Laurie Beeson greets residents by name, cracks jokes and offers life advice as students ask for packages and lock-out keys.
In 2008, Beeson was diagnosed with breast cancer before undergoing removal surgery that same year. Not long after, she’d find herself working the hall’s front desk as a senior specialist at Texas Tech.
Beeson said the diagnosis was life-changing, but she couldn’t let it break her, especially after watching her mother fight the same disease.
“I think when somebody says your name and says cancer next to it, that’s life changing,” Beeson said. “We all thought I was gonna die, because our mom did. So it was very important to me that I walked through that with some grace and some dignity.”
Beeson says everything she’s faced has led her to this moment and place at Tech, not just to manage the office, but to create a space where students can talk, heal and feel safe. She describes herself as a relationship builder whose job is to know the students.
“You are all your experiences in your life,” Beeson said. “That’s part of your character, that’s what makes you who you are. I want to use mine to offer hope.”
Coming from a very faith-based family, she said she couldn’t unravel with her sisters and daughter relying on her to stay strong and make it through.
“People needed to know I was not falling apart because I’m a believer. I really had to set that example for my daughter, for my sister and for my family,” Beeson said. “I did have to go through this. I couldn’t fall apart.”
Beeson said her family encouraged her, reminding her that maybe she had been chosen for this challenge with a broader purpose ahead.
“I had an aunt that told me, ‘You were chosen. God knew what you would do with this. That’s why you have breast cancer and not your sisters, because you were chosen,’” Beeson said. “So I thought that was what always helped me a lot.”
Her cozy office, intentionally decorated pink and filled with notes, stickers and trinkets representing breast cancer, has become a quiet beacon for students navigating their own health concerns. Beeson said it’s important that people can come to her so her health experience can be put to use.
Clement Hall senior specialist Laurie Beeson’s nails are painted with a breast cancer awareness emblem while working in her office at Clement Hall Oct. 13, 2025.
Robert Looper
“A couple of girls found lumps, and one student’s mom was diagnosed with breast cancer,” Beeson said. “We talked a lot about what her mom was going through compared to what I went through, and how everything was going to be okay.”
Xena Shirke, a third-year mechanical engineering major from Mumbai, India, said Beeson’s strength shows in everything she does.
“Mrs. Laurie inspires me not just with her smiles and her jokes, but in the way she powered through breast cancer and holds it proud,” Shirke said. “Every time you pass by the desk, it’s a smile to see. You can go to Laurie for anything you need.”
Rushil Patel, a third-year computer science major from Mexia, remembers how Beeson trained him on his first day of work in the office.
“I had no training, no nothing. She welcomed me and gave me all the instructions for the desk,” Patel said. “I remember her fight against breast cancer inspired me because even after all that, she still comes here with a smile on her face, always happy and ready to work at 7:30 in the morning.”
After a decade of check-ups, Beeson said she decided to pursue dismissal from cancer follow-ups to reclaim her peace of mind and let go of constant medical anxiety.
“If you make it to five years, that’s the survivor point. Some of that is true, and some of it’s not, because there’s still some stuff you can’t do at five years,” Beeson said. “So at 10 years is when I said, ‘I think I’m ready to be done. 10 years of this is enough.’ They (her doctors) all said they thought I’d be fine.”
Despite being officially dismissed and declared cancer-free in 2018, she said the anxiety that comes with experiencing breast cancer never fully goes away.
“You’re always worried that everything that pops up with you is going to be cancer,” Beeson said. “Even though I know it’s probably not, that fear still tugs in the back of my mind.”
Yet, even though she is still sometimes worried about the cancer returning, Beeson said the overall experience has made her more proactive to take care of those around her.
“I have no fear now,” Beeson said. “I’m gonna say what I’m gonna say. I want you to know there’s somebody in this office who cares about you. There’s always someone you can come talk to about anything.”
Beeson said she doesn’t share her story for sympathy, but because she knows what saved her life might save someone else’s.
“Check yourself,” Beeson said. “Pray a lot. Keep a smile on your face because that’s what I did, and I’m still here.”