Lauren Hubbard: Mrs. Wake Forest

Last year you may have seen this fair-haired beauty effortlessly running in heels across campus yet somehow still maintaining her impossibly chic appearance. One of those few people that wears a suit like Lois Lane, rather than the rest of us who look more like Hillary Clinton, Lauren made everyone envious of her style, her poise, and her uncanny ability to pull it altogether. Involved in SOA, Student Government, Greek Life, President’s Aides, and about 10 other things that increasingly tower over my own meager resume, her legacy at Wake remains. Former Student Trustee and now a Wake Forest Fellow, Lauren Hubbard is the closest thing we have to a Miss Wake Forest. Spear-heading the new 1834 campaign, this Demon Deacon can – and does – do it all. Take notes ladies!Explain your position and a little bit about the 1834 Campaign. I currently hold a Wake Forest Fellows position at the University. The Fellows Program provides recent graduates the opportunity to work for one year at the University. Fellows are full-time staff members, and we are very fortunate to have incredible mentoring opportunities and leadership development. Fellows positions are available in a number of departments on campus, but I happen to be in the Office of University Advancement. This department is responsible for fundraising and alumni relations among other things, and my specific work centers on student philanthropy. I coordinate the 1834 Student Giving Campaign, which is designed to educate students on why it is important to support the University philanthropically and then provides them a way to get involved in giving. Another big component of 1834 is the ability for students to connect with their peers in their own classes as well as those older and younger than them. Social events that coincide with giving make this happen. How did you think of it? How is the campaign going? What can we do to support it? In my time as an undergraduate, I noticed other schools with very successful student giving programs. After attending the Wake Forest v. Clemson football game my junior year and seeing all the students there in IPTAY (their student giving program) t-shirts, I realized that if other schools could get students involved in giving then so could Wake Forest! Donors are so very important to the school and that includes students. No matter what you are able to give, $10, $20, $50 or $100, every gift matters! Yes, Wake Forest is an expensive school. There are no two ways about that, but what many students don't realize is that our tuition only covers approximately 75% of the costs of being a student. That means without donors, students would have to pay about $9500 more each year to have the experience we do! Wake Forest is a non-profit organization. Like all non-profits, we rely on donors...and not just big donors. If every student gave just $10, we'd raise more than $40,000 to support the University. Wake Forest students truly embody our Pro Humanitate motto. This is the first year the school has conducted a student-body wide giving program, and students have been so generous. Through the hard work of our 1834 committees and the generosity of our students, the student body has gotten 550+ donors and raised more than $26,700. It's not to late to get involved with the campaign. You can give online with Deacon Dollars, Credit or Debit card here. If you'd like to give cash or check or if you have questions, you can email Lauren Hubbard at hubbarlk@wfu.edu. Do you enjoy being a Wake Forest fellow? I am so very fortunate to have this job this year and am loving every minute. How could you not when you get to spend your days with people as awesome and wonderfully philanthropic as Wake Forest students? How does this compare to your position as Student Trustee last year? My Fellows position is a great extension of my work as Student Trustee last year. As Student Trustee you have a unique opportunity to represent the student viewpoint in decision-making for the University. That experience certainly gave me an insight into how the University runs, and my position this year has extended that opportunity. My role is now more of a combination of teaching, coordinating and empowering students to support a cause that is important to each and every one of us- Wake Forest. I strive everyday to be helpful and relatable to the student body, and I think my role as a student representative helped me prepare to do those two things more effectively than I might have been able to otherwise. Favorite freshmen year memory? Oh man. There are too many to count! I will never forget my first time rolling the Quad. It is still on of my favorite traditions on campus. Favorite senior year memory? Again- there are tons! I loved Seize the Quad. It was so great to have that many Wake Forest students together on campus. I will also never forget all the time my friends and I spent together leading up to graduation. From hanging out in our suites, to Cookout runs, to taking trips together we made great memories leading up to graduation- and I'm so glad we did. Oh yes, walking across the stage at Commencement after four years of hard work is a pretty lasting memory as well! Where do you see yourself in the near future? If there is one thing I have learned in my 9 months since graduation, it is this- real life is way more unstructured and unpredictable than you imagine. It's also way more fun than you think, but still unpredictable.