Name: Lauren Cohen
Year: 2018
Hometown: Wilmette, IL
Majors/Minors: Majors–Psychology and HSSP, Minors–Hispanic Studies
Her Campus: What are you involved in on campus?
Lauren Cohen: On campus, when I’m not doing “work” in the lib, I’m a sister of Delta Phi Epsilon and Co-President of Charlamos, a Spanish conversation club where I get to practice my Spanish skills. I also devote a large chunk of my extracurricular time to Waltham Group as a volunteer for Brandeis Buddies where I participate in creative recreational programs with adults with developmental disabilities (some of whom work on campus), and as a coordinator (and former volunteer) for Big Siblings.
HC: Can you tell us a little bit more about Big Siblings? What do volunteers get to do? What is your favorite memory with your little sibling?
LC: Big Siblings is just one of the amazing twenty Waltham Group Programs on campus. Big Siblings matches Brandeis students in a one-on-one mentoring relationship with students from 3rd-5th grade at Stanley Elementary School (the one right down the street). The little siblings in our program have been identified by a social worker as kids who could really benefit from having a positive mentor in their lives: that’s where our amazing Brandeis volunteers come in! Volunteers head over to the elementary school once a week during their little sibling’s lunch and recess and get to hang out together! Matches can do anything from play outside, play games in the library, color, read, or just chat together. Unfortunately, my little sibling, Jackie, switched schools, so I no longer have a little sibling. My favorite memory with her has to be playing Uno together! I taught her how to play and from that point on I never won a game (I swear I wasn’t going easy on her). But also the time she asked me how old I was, I said 19, and she responded by saying: “so you’re a mom?!”.
HC: You were a midyear, and it is almost time for the midyear class of 2020 to join us on campus. What advice do you have for the midyears?
LC: Being a midyear has really shaped my Brandeis experience and I wouldn’t trade it for the world! On that note, try to take advantage of the awesome opportunity you’ve been given to enter college with a smaller group of students and get to know as many people as you can! I remember I was really nervous once everyone else came back from winter break, but don’t be afraid to put yourself out there (as cliché as it may sound) and join clubs and activities to really integrate within the rest of the Brandeis community!! From my experience, there’s always this really special midyear bond that happens when you meet a midyear from another class so that’s really special to carry with you throughout your time at Brandeis!
HC: What are your plans for next semester?
LC: I’m going to be leaving Waltham behind to spend Spring 2017 in Buenos Aires, Argentina! Through the IFSA-Butler Argentine Universities Program, I’ll be enrolling directly into classes at local universities and living with a host family! I’ve only heard great things about Buenos Aires and I can’t wait to explore everything the city has to offer.
HC: What will you miss the most about Brandeis while you are abroad?
LC: That’s an easy one: Sherman!!!! Though I won’t actually miss the fine culinary offerings of Sodexo, there are plenty of things I will miss about Brandeis while I’m in Argentina. First of all, I’m going to miss all of the strictly Brandeis acronyms that have totally seeped into my everyday vocabulary (just ask my parents how many times I talked about “meeting up with someone in the SCC”, or how “I have to do this and that for my HSSP major” over Thanksgiving Break). I’m also really going to miss the sense of community, something both physical and intangible, that comes from being a part of this campus. But most of all, it’s going to be really hard to leave my friends and all of the people who have shaped my time here so far! I know that everyone will only be a Facetime call away, but it’s a tough realization to know that life at Brandeis will go on without me. Feeling so connected to campus just makes me that more excited to come back and share my experiences from abroad senior year!
Quick Facts
Favorite song: Currently, that new John Legend song “Love Me Now” is stuck in my head but I also can’t forget about some solid throwbacks like “Body Language” by Jesse McCartney or “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira.
Favorite food: Mangos for sure but chips & guac are a close second
Favorite quote: I happen to be a really bad procrastinator so it would have to be “Do something today that your future self would thank you for”
Favorite Boston attraction: The first place that comes to mind is definitely the Public Gardens but if I have to be 100% honest it’s definitely the cannoli at Mike’s Pastry.
Favorite TV show: Jane (the Virgin)
Favorite Brandeis memory (so far): It’s not really a single memory in particular but I loved going to the Group Fitness Zumba classes with my friends during freshman and sophomore years. It really solidified our friendships and it kind of turned into a routine that we all really looked forward to every week. Unfortunately, this semester we all had scheduling conflicts and couldn’t go, but memories of us making complete and utter fools out of ourselves with our lack of dance moves will forever be etched in my mind as one of my favorite parts of Brandeis!!