Lauren Wallace started making her own bracelets when she was in 5th grade. By 7th grade she realized her talents could make her some money, and she began selling beaded lanyards to school nurses and teachers. Soon after that, Lauren found a local bookstore to carry her handmade earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. She named her collection after her birth month, August. Even now, eleven years since Lauren first put beads on a string, she still sells August by Lauren at local art fairs, home shows, and on Etsy.
Lauren’s entrepreneurial spirit showed at a young age, and hasn’t diminished since then. As a junior at the University of Iowa, Lauren is a double major in Studio Arts and Communication Studies, as well as earning an Entrepreneurial Certificate—and it all started because she loved the University of Iowa and hated math.
Lauren never doubted her decision to go to Iowa. In fact, she never even applied to any other colleges (though she did tour all three state schools during her senior year of high school as a way to get out of class and be with her friends). She started her freshman year at Iowa intending to apply to the business school, hoping to focus on marketing or advertising.
There were two problems with that: 1. Lauren struggles with, and subsequently, hates math, and 2. The University of Iowa does not offer an advertising degree.
Instead, Lauren decided to focus on her strengths and find a way to work towards advertising without attending the business school. She channeled her creative energy into art, which she loves because it allows her to express herself. She then chose communications because it teaches her about media, public relations, and persuasion. She hopes her unique combination of majors will help her get into creative advertising.
“[My majors] made sense to me because advertising is basically communicating a brand in order to persuade others to buy,” Lauren said.
Lauren’s already found the perfect way to blend her communication and art skills through her internship as the Assistant Marketing Director for the University of Iowa Fine Arts Council, which puts on two art shows in the Iowa Memorial Union each year.
Even with her demanding course load, busy internship, and other hobbies, Lauren still finds time to enjoy herself. On the weekends, she loves going out with friends, who are often models for her jewelry when they’re out and about, or attending concerts. She is also passionate about traveling—she has visited most of Europe and she is currently studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain. While Lauren doesn’t see a future career in making jewelry, she plans on continuing it in her free time for as long as she still enjoys beads.
“I love making jewelry, but I also love being creative and coming up with ideas, so it’s important to me to see what other kind of potential I have.”
Check out some of Lauren’s jewelry by clicking here.
*Photos attributed to Lauren Wallace