“My greatest piece of advice is to find your passion and go after it,” says Lauren Grady '16. “Don’t let self-doubt get in the way of what you’re meant to do. Believe in yourself and use your God-given talents to positively affect those around you.”
Lauren Grady is the type of person whose passion for helping others is evident in everything she does – and she certainly does a lot. As a Lewis student, Lauren could be seen constantly bouncing from one activity to the other. What made her truly stand out, however, was not the amount of activities she was involved in, but the dedication and compassion behind them.
Even though Lauren was extremely active at Lewis, it still took her time, and a few tries, to find her ultimate passion. When Lauren first stepped foot on campus, she was determined to be a teacher. However, that changed quickly after joining the school newspaper, the Lewis Flyer, where she fell in love with to journalism and switched her major. After spending a year with the school newspaper, Lauren decided to give something else a try. She landed on a major in international business with a minor in marketing and Spanish.
In addition to exploring her newfound major, Lauren made lifelong friends through her love of soccer. She was a star soccer player throughout her four years and was even joined by her younger sister Kelly on the soccer team. Even in the midst of the busyness, Lauren still managed to handle her schedule and help those around her. “I learned to find a balance between having fun and being in school,” Lauren says. It allowed me to focus on what's most important.”
Because of her passion for helping others, Lauren got involved with peer ministry. As a peer minister, she was able to connect with others and make them feel welcome.
“The community was incredibly supportive,” she recalls. “They make you feel important, like you’re the right person for the job”. Throughout her years, and her changes, Lewis was there for her and its mission is what led her to be the positive leader she is today.
Last June, Lauren was appointed District Manager of Aldi in Woodridge, IL. For a year prior, Lauren traveled from state to state and district to district, learning about her company and about how to manage her own district. This position at Aldi has allowed Lauren to show her leadership skills – skills that were started on Lewis’ campus.
Reflecting on her journey, Lauren says, “Being thrown lots of responsibility right out of school was really nice. It gave me the opportunity to make hard decisions – and to do what’s right, rather than just what’s easier.”
At the end of the day, Lauren’s goal is to be a positive leader – and to develop the people around her.
Her vast experiences at Lewis got her to where she is now, but it was Lewis’ mission and passion for people that shaped her to be the leader she is.
Written by Montana Clasby '16, Advancement Communications Graduate Assistant
Written by Montana Clasby '16, Advancement Communications Graduate Assistant
No comments:
Post a Comment