But this proud alumnus never lost touch with his alma mater while ascending through the world of politics. In fact, he touched down on campus in 2015 to deliver a simple, bold, effective, and charming commencement address message to the crowd at Cowell College: take big risks, and always make sure to pay it forward.
"When I graduated from UC Santa Cruz, it was illegal to be gay in all 50 states," Laird told the crowd. "When I sat at my graduation, I was just coming to terms with the fact that I was gay. And I thought I would have to choose between being clear about who I was, and moving ahead in the field of public policy that I thought I was best suited for.
"I took a risk," Laird continued, "not knowing whether I was on the right side of history—but knowing I was doing what was right."
UC Santa Cruz gave him an edge as he went on to pursue a lifetime of public service, he later said.
"I remember the first paper I turned in as a student," Laird said. "The professor wrote on it, 'If there is a point here, I'm missing it.' I went from that to writing an honors thesis and to being elected to public office. That's what a UC Santa Cruz education did for me."
