Since graduating from Michigan State University in 2006 with a B.A. in Spanish, Lauyren Haight has earned a Juris Doctor degree and has led federal and global corporate investigations at the U.S. Department of Justice, the FBI, and Google. Much of her work has focused on civil rights and sexual harassment investigations. Currently, she works for Microsoft in Washington, D.C., as a Corporate Counsel and Employee Relations Investigator.

In addition to her role at Microsoft, Haight is a lead for Women@Microsoft. She also enjoys volunteer work and mentoring college students and others who are early in their career journey. In the following Q&A, she reflects on how her education from MSU’s College of Arts & Letters and a wide variety of experiences have helped prepare her for her remarkable career.

Why did you decide to attend Michigan State University?

I was the first one in my family to go to a four-year college. I grew up in the Detroit suburbs as an only child. My parents were on the younger end when they had me, so we all kind of grew up together. And from an early age, I always knew I wanted to have a career where I could impact the lives of others around me and my parents were incredibly supportive of me. I could have gone to the University of Michigan or a couple of other schools, but I chose Michigan State because of its College of Education, which is consistently listed among the best education programs in the country.

But you majored in Spanish?

Yes, I was a Spanish major with minors in Secondary Education, Social Studies, and Sociology. I studied abroad in Spain, Costa Rica, and Mexico. As an 18-year-old, my eyes were focused on the inequities within the education system. My plan was to be a teacher for a period and then move to Washington, D.C., and work for the U.S. Department of Education where I could slowly change the education system to equip all children for success regardless of where they grew up. However, it was suggested to me if I wanted to be this justice warrior, this change agent, that law school might be a better fit. So, after that conversation, I decided to take the LSAT and immediately enrolled in law school without even stopping much to question it – I was determined.

Can you summarize the arc of your career and how you ended up at Microsoft?

As I was trying to work my way into the U.S. Department of Education, I got an offer from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). I ended up joining the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division and worked on the largest sexual harassment settlement in DOJ history at that time.

After two years, I switched to the investigative side of things. I enjoy analytical work, looking into how people think and what happened from different perspectives, and asking questions to understand versus always being in adversarial litigation.

As part of being selected for a competitive program at the DOJ, called the Leadership Excellence and Achievement Program, I also took a variety of “details,” which are assignments away from your permanent role, while working for the government. These roles included working on juvenile justice issues and even serving as a Task Force Officer at the FBI’s Detroit field office in the closing months of a $55 million health care fraud scheme. That was really cool. I also got the opportunity to be a liaison between the White House and the DOJ helping to nominate federal judges and assist them in getting sworn in. Finally, after my first child, I worked on a small team through DOJ’s Gender Equality Network to help get paid parental leave passed for federal employees. On this team, I also worked on other issues for women in the workplace (i.e. flexible work schedules, equal pay, spaces to privately pump, ability to ship back breast milk while on work travel, etc.). 

When were you recruited to work for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)?

After spending over a decade at the DOJ, I wanted to do something different, so I accepted an offer to go to HHS in February 2020. Little did any of us know that my onboarding week would be the first week of the shutdown for COVID. So, I joined the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services right in the middle of a pandemic, at a time I was hoping to slow down a bit, so God has a sense of humor. I worked on a variety of critical civil rights issues at HHS and launched a sexual harassment program while I was there, part of which came out of the compliance and investigative work with Michigan State because of what happened with Larry Nassar and the gymnastics team. I helped launch a program looking into different universities who receive funds from HHS to make sure we don’t have another one of those situations happen again.

You eventually left the federal government for the private sector. Is that when you pivoted to employee relations?

I had a wonderful career as a federal employee and wanted to continue to grow differently. With that in mind, I boldly left for the private sector, and I accepted an offer with Google in 2022 to be a Senior Employee Relations Investigator. And then an opportunity came to take on a Corporate Counsel role for Workplace Investigations at Microsoft in 2023. It’s a great fit, I absolutely love the work and my team, so I feel like I have the best of both worlds. At Microsoft, I also volunteer with different Employee Resource Groups and do pro bono work.

I genuinely enjoy employee relations and workplace investigations. My heart is to create spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and understood, and where people feel they have a seat at the table. I find when people can be who they are, you see the best work come out of them. So, I sometimes have tough or uncomfortable conversations to create more opportunities for growth.

How has your MSU education helped in your career?

I definitely attribute who I am today because of Michigan State. Unlike some other schools, Michigan State doesn’t try to put you in a box. MSU hands you a box that’s open and says, ‘Jump in, explore, and make it whatever you want it to be,’ kind of like when you give a kid a cardboard box and you watch their imagination unfold. Michigan State is great at accepting people for where they’re at and who they are. I really like that about the culture at Michigan State. I feel like there is something for everybody.

And the squirrels were also one of my favorite things.

The squirrels?

I used to feed the squirrels on campus, and one time I rode an elevator with a squirrel in Case Hall. I will never forget walking into the elevator, pushing the button, and when the doors closed, I noticed there was a squirrel in the elevator eating an apple. We looked at each other, and when the elevator doors opened, he watched me get off and kept eating his apple as if we had an understanding.

I loved all the opportunities that Michigan State had to offer and the diversity in the student population. I got to meet people from cities, people who grew up on farms, and everything in between. There were so many groups you can participate in and opportunities to work – I did both. I joined a variety of academic and social groups across campus, including a sorority. I was a barista at Sparty’s, and I worked at the Wharton Center, trying to help pay for some of my tuition. Then after law school, I worked two jobs to pay off all my student loans as quickly as possible following some of Dave Ramsey’s teachings. I paid off $200,000 in about five years of focus, just hustling, eating peanut butter and jelly, sacrificing, and working, working, working as much as I could, with a sprinkle of fun in-between.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I have two young children and a dog who keep me busy. I strive to show up hard for my kids in every way. I enjoy strength training, dancing, listen to podcasts, and keeping up with my Spanish as much as possible. I really love to travel too. I read a lot of books, mostly growth or self-help books, but I always keep one fun kind of book in the rotation. And I’m always looking for different ways to grow, evolve, and change my perspective. I also mentor a lot of people, especially Spartans.

You’ve already accomplished so much, and you’re only 40. What’s next?

In terms of my career, I am still learning and growing in my new role. However, I would like to take on a stretch role or step into a leadership role down the line. I plan on spending the rest of my career working in employee relations or civil rights work, including after I retire, if I will ever really retire. I am passionate about helping everyone regardless of their background so that likely won’t stop until I am gone.

I am incredibly grateful for what I have today and the journey it took to get there. I have a sticky note on my monitor that reminds me that there was once a time when you were praying for what you have right now, and to remember to be grateful for the moments that you’re in, and not wish time away in the present moment. Admittedly, it can be hard not to dream of the future or plan things out, but it’s important to sit in what is, learn, and find the takeaways. And, although I tend to be pain avoidant, I welcome it because the discomfort means I am growing. The view from the top of the mountain is beautiful, but the harvest and fruit are found in the valleys.