Lauren Gledhill

Encouraging service
Junior psychology major Lauren Gledhill’s gift of leadership inspires a campus and a community.

As Vice President of Service for the Student Government Association, she plans and organizes regular student service projects.

“It’s rewarding to those you serve because you’re making a difference in their lives, but it also impacts your life a lot, too.”

She hopes an event planned for Saturday, March 19, will help to raise awareness for a disorder that affects one in 110 children.

“It’s called Panthers Pounce on Autism, and it’s a 5K run and a 3K walk to raise money for autism research.

“Our goal is to raise $3,000, and we’re getting close to it!”

“And, there’s still time for people to register!” she plugs.

Given Lauren’s infectious enthusiasm for every project she’s a part of, there is no doubt the project will surpass its objective.

In fact, she says serving is an integral part of her life.

“In church, our youth group was always doing service projects, so that’s where it started.
“Then, it was important for me to keep doing it.”

Whether she’s organizing ‘Panthers Pounce… ’ or an evening of Bingo at a local assisted-living facility, Lauren’s ability to lead by serving genuinely inspires people to take action. Recently, friends wrote on her facebook page:

Friend One:  Girl, I have been running miles for you this week in preparation for this Pounce! But I use the word "run" very loosely...

Friend Two:  Went for a run today to prepare for Panthers Pounce on Autism. EPIC fail. I barely made it a mile. How much time will I have to run this thing? Hahahahahaha, don't answer that.

This year, Lauren is President of the LaGrange College Hilltoppers, a group of volunteers selected to provide campus tours to prospective students and their families.

Also, as a member of the Baptist Collegiate Ministry leadership team on campus, she rallies other students for free luncheons on Tuesdays, provided by community churches.

“On Thursdays we have our worship service with a speaker and a lot of fellowship time. It’s a really great way to connect and unwind if you’ve had a stressful week.”

As she prepares for her senior year at LaGrange, she’s looking forward to becoming even more involved in student government and “having one last year to serve here.”

After graduation next year, she plans to attend seminary to become a Christian counselor with a focus on marriage and family counseling.

“I really want a career where I can help people,” she says.

“People have to deal with a lot of tough things, and I would love to be there to help, from a Christian and biblical perspective, with whatever they’re going through.

“I don’t think anything can get fixed without God, and so I would love to show them how to use God to get better.”

Her own parents recently celebrated their 26th anniversary.

“They’re as happy as they’ve ever been and really model what a good marriage is, but they’ve also had struggles. I’ve seen how they’ve handled the tough times and overcome them.”

Lauren says her favorite class so far is “Positive Psychology.”

“That was my Jan Term class, and it was about research on what makes people happy, what makes a satisfied life.”

She believes the support of good friends is vitally important for a more meaningful life.

“You need someone you can laugh with and who is going to be there for you, no matter what. It’s nice to have that support network just to be there to go through life together.”