Background & Selected Experience

Lauren was born and raised in Bristol Bay, Alaska, and lived in the village of South Naknek until the age of 10. After graduating high school, Lauren attended Vanderbilt University, where she double-majored in Child Studies and Medicine, Health, and Society. While at Vanderbilt, she received the Founder's Medal for Peabody College, the highest honor given to graduating students, and started a student organization called Vanderbilt Association of Introverts.

Lauren previously taught story sharing and creator classes for adults through her personal business Somers Stories. She enjoys helping students reach their full potential and achieve their academic goals, while sharing her love of reading and writing with them. Lauren is continuing her education by currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Literary Arts, with an emphasis on creative nonfiction, at the University of Alaska Anchorage. She is also pursuing a career in writing and hopes to teach at the college level one day.

In her free time, Lauren is a singer-songwriter and is currently in the process of creating her first album. She loves going to trivia nights, attending theater performances, and spending time with her dog, Pickles.