Keeping an open mind
Lauren Lanning, class of 2025 (psychology, public relations), finds fulfillment at the intersections of human behavior and communications.
Sometimes when you enter the University of Oregon without a set academic path, that path finds you instead. That’s what happened for Lauren Lanning, class of 2025 (psychology, public relations). Lanning knew she wanted to study psychology when she came to the UO, but was surprised when she also developed a passion for communications during her second year. She now works for the Center of Science Communication Research (SCR) on the Eugene campus where she merges her interests to share the most recent scientific discoveries with the public.
“I find a lot of energy and joy interacting with and understanding others,” Lanning says, “Being able to combine that with research and have an inside scoop of how real research works is so special to me.”
Lanning decided to apply to the SCR after taking a strategic communications research methods class. Since then, she’s only become more convinced about the intersection between her majors and their efficacy in the working world. As a second-year student, Lanning took the leap and travelled to Oviedo, Spain, to complete UO’s Spanish Immersion program. Not only did it boost her Spanish skills, but it also offered Lanning insight into different cultures and customs that she says will propel her in her future career.
“At first, I didn’t understand the complexity of how much you could learn from being abroad,” Lanning says. “I hadn't really ventured far, and so just going abroad and just stepping out of your own personal experiences and developing an appreciation for like the nuanced ways of life and different cultures has made me understand how important intercultural competence really is.”
Her experience in Oviedo inspired her to return to Spain this past summer, this time to Barcelona, where she interned at the cultural event planning organization, Neus Flores Intercultural Communication. Lanning loved being able to visit local businesses and network with people from all around the world.
“It made me understand how interconnected and globalized our society will continue to become,” she says. “It's amazing for me that I'm able to have these opportunities and experiences that I think make me a better person and will make me a better professional.”
Lanning mentions that the Minds Move Mountains scholarship was essential in allowing her to attend a college out-of-state and study abroad. She says that Oregon’s paradigm of increasing student’s access to transformational higher education opportunities through scholarship has been paramount to her success.
“It was like a weight got lifted,” Lanning says. “A lot of my friends have scholarships too, and everyone’s so open about it because Oregon does such a good job at making it possible for everyone.”
Having that scholarship made it easier for Lanning to keep an open mind about her college experience. If she hadn’t been able to do that, Lanning says she would have missed out on critical opportunities for growth.
“When I went into college, I didn’t know where it would take me, but it took me exactly where I needed to be,” she says. “I met the people that I need to be with. They have different passions, but we all have the same values and outlook on life. I have such a big community at school, which I wouldn't trade for the world, and I've been able to really explore.”
It will be hard for Lanning to leave the UO when she graduates next year, but as always, she’ll be staying open to what the future will bring and using her passions for psychology and communications to make a difference in the world.
—By Sage Kiernan-Sherrow, UO Advancement Editorial and Communications Specialist