Major: Media and Communication
Minor: History
Hometown: Erie
Scholarship: Erie Insurance Open Doors Scholarship
Awards: Pride of the Lion Award
Why she chose Behrend: I attended a lot of youth programs at Behrend, from College for Kids to Women in Business Day to Math Options. It feels like home. I knew there were a lot of caring and involved faculty and staff members at Behrend.
Why she chose her major: I’m a talker, so it suits my personality. It also suits my personal goal to work in an active and fun environment. It’s a versatile degree that can apply to nearly any industry.
Proudest accomplishment at Behrend: Finishing my degree. I had a rough start adjusting to college, and I started skipping classes and fell way behind. I ended up withdrawing on the last day of my first semester to save my GPA. When I re-enrolled for the next semester, I had an entire support network from Behrend helping me get and stay on track, including an academic counselor who I checked in with weekly. She helped me find a major that suited me, and I learned how to “do” college. I have been on the Dean’s List for the last three semesters.
Campus involvement: Lion Ambassador tour guide, four years.
Virtual life: I’ve been an employee and student researcher at the Virtual/Augmented Reality Lab for four years. I’m currently working on creating 360-degree point-of-view videos for people with disabilities.
Setting records: On April 5, the VAR Lab director, Dr. Chris Shelton, and I attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the most time in VR while watching VR content. We needed to beat 50 hours. Unfortunately, we had technical problems with Dr. Shelton’s equipment, and he wasn’t able to continue, but I made it to 55 hours, finishing on April 7 at 7:00 a.m.
What makes her unique: I am co-owner of an Erie tourism business. In my junior year, my mother and I started a walking tour company in Erie, called Tour Erie. We offer historical tours in downtown Erie, which is why I added a minor in history. We have plans to add more tours when I graduate.
What you’d be surprised to know about her: I have an extensive plant collection, somewhere around fifty plants, and I can name them all. I also have two geckos, hissing cockroaches, and a tarantula.
What she’s passionate about: The National Parks. I’ve been to nearly a dozen of them with my family and can’t wait to visit more of them. This spring break, I visited Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.
She loves Erie: While I love to travel, I really love living in Erie, which is why I love sharing how awesome it is with visitors and residents on our tours.
Advice for first-year students: Don’t skip class! Set yourself up for success in your first year by going to class, paying attention, and doing the assigned readings before class. Also, join some clubs. I did not, and I regret it as it’s where most people seem to make friends.
Parting words: I’m so thankful to so many people at Behrend who helped me get to the finish line, including Emily Artello in Academic Advising, Jim Dowds in the Counseling Center, Mary Kay Williams in Admissions, Dr. Chris Shelton in the VAR Lab, and my adviser, Dr. Carrie Payne.
Lauren plans to focus on growing and diversifying her seasonal tour company and finding part-time work in brand management or another other aspect of business communication.
I had an entire support network from Behrend helping me get and stay on track, including an academic counselor who I checked in with weekly. She helped me find a major that suited me, and I learned how to “do” college.
—Lauren Cass