Hi, I'm Lauren! I am a Junior in the College of Arts and Sciences studying Science, Technology, and Society on the Pre-Medical Track. If the bees are busy then I am a hornet because I LOVE to fill up my free time with everything under the sun. I love performing arts like theater and perform and do technical theater in various groups at Penn. I am very big into many of the cultural spaces at Penn and can talk about those for days. I also honestly have such an interesting pre-med story, and as a result know so freaking much about the advising office and how to navigate choosing a career path and major. I love talking with students and parents and I can't wait to get to know you!

Hometown

Bronxville, NY

Major(s)

Science, Technology, and Society with a concentration in Biotechnology and Biomedicine; Pre-Med

Clubs, organizations & involvement

African American Arts Alliance After School Arts Program (ASAP) in Platt House Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Cross-Grade Sports at the Netter Center (Young Quakers at the Netter Center) Descendants of Afro-Americans at Penn (DAAP) Faces of Black Penn Intramural Softball Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS) National Society for Black Women in Medicine (NSBWM) Penn Singers Light Opera Co. Quadramics Theater Co. Reach a Peer Helpline (RAP Line) Residential Advisor in Riepe College House

Describe your college experience

I'd say that I had a rocky transition into college but Penn had a lot of resources that helped me get on my feet when I was down. I came in thinking that I was going to major in Chemistry (horrible idea...don't choose a major before you take the class!) and came out of my first semester contemplating dropping being pre-med all together. I had wonderful advisors and support systems that helped me choose a major that fit me and helped me to realize that a flub in my first semester was not life defining. I was diagnosed with ADHD in the middle of my sophomore year of college and I have had a lot of help from the Weingarten Center to figure out how to manage my coursework. I am in many a campus org (lots of performing arts, a wonderful sorority, and volunteering in the area), was a RA my sophomore year, and now am living it up as an upperclassmen!

Tip for future students

Come in with a plan and in that plan leave a lot of room for change. My number one downfall when coming to college was thinking that everything would just come to me easily. I had no room for adjustments in some places and no direction whatsoever in others. Even if your plan is "undecided", that's enough.

Favorite class

History of American Law Through 1877 with Prof Sarah Gronningsater. It was one of the first classes I took at Penn and was a great introduction to how campus life is. Prog Gronningsater is one of the best teachers EVER and I tell everybody to take a class with her before they graduate whether its for a gen-ed or just declaring the History Major overall. STS (my major) is a history focused major and her class was a huge deciding factor for why I focused on humanities over a strictly STEM major.

Career goals

I hope to apply and be accepted to Medical School! I want to be a pediatric physician, specialty undecided!

Ideal way to spend a free night

I honestly don't have a lot of free nights because of all my clubs...BUT when I get the chance I love to see what movies they're playing in cinemark or sit in Port Coffee Co. on 40th and Walnut.

High school or secondary school

Riverdale Country School

Favorite spot on campus

I love to study in the Chem Library conference room. There's so much light and lots of white board space for me to get out all of my thoughts. I am also a huge Pret Fan!