For Lauren, Hiram’s public health program is helping her become a caring health professional. “I want to have the ability to increase a community’s wellness with effective communication and outreach,” she says. To develop the skills she’ll need in a health communications career, she’s also selected minors in programs such as communication and biomedical humanities.

In addition to her academic pursuits, Lauren is using the opportunities on campus to gain valuable experience. As an RA in one of the campus’s residence halls, Lauren is already supporting her community and helping these around her. “The community engagement is exactly what I was looking for,” she says. Lauren has found the welcoming community at Hiram to be exactly what she needed for her development. “I knew it would be the best for me to succeed both academically and personally.”

Lauren’s close connection to her classmates began nearly as soon as she arrived on campus. She soon bonded with many of her fellow students in her Enduring Questions course as part of the first-year program: “We all still talk to this day.”