I first joined the Let’s Get Ready team as a Verbal SAT content coach in the Spring of 2019. My undergraduate program had a requirement for volunteer hours and coaching seemed like a way to complete those in an enjoyable way. That one night a week spent at our NYU site quickly became one of my favorites. Not only did my students have the desire to learn, to grow, to achieve, but they wanted to learn, to grow, to achieve with me. Their personalities shone through and our lessons were full of content, laughter, advice, vulnerability, and encouragement. Lesson planning never felt like a chore because I knew how it would bring us closer together (even on those nights that I forgot about my slideshow until midnight the night before). I knew from that first term LGR was a place I belonged.

I continued my work with LGR as a Site Director in the Spring of 2020. You know what happens next…COVID-19. Since the pandemic hit, I’ve grown immensely with LGR. I worked two terms as a Virtual Access Coach, one as a Virtual Access Coordinator, one as a Virtual Access Program Manager, and now I’m here as the new Enrollment & Partnerships Manager. You could say I’m all in!

I love making a tangible difference in the students’ lives and as I grew as an individual, a student, and a young professional entering the workforce, I was passionate about continuing to do just that. My major, Sociology, always rendered me on the receiving end of two questions. The first: “What are you going to do with that?” and the second: “Oh, so you’re going to be a teacher?” I didn’t entirely know myself, but my work with Let’s Get Ready has led me to a job that I love.

My favorite story to share when I talk about my growth at LGR involves a text from one of my students I was sent six months after our program had ended. He wanted to inform me that I’d inspired him to apply to my own alma mater, the Macaulay Honors College. It still makes me proud to this day!
With that as a foundation for what LGR means to me, I feel excited, optimistic, and honored to be a part of our organization’s growth process. I think about my first class of students feeling encouraged, capable, determined as a result of Access and then I imagine expanding that outreach to 25,000 students. Reaching impact at that scale fills me with indescribable pride, that I’m lucky enough to play such a crucial role in getting us there.
I remain motivated by the fact that at the end of every day, I love what I do. I love that I’m fostering real change. I love that I’m putting hope back into this world in the communities who need it most. I hope that you’ll take part in this journey with us and help us as we create the transformation we’d love to see in the world.

Sincerely,
Lauren

Former LGR Coach
Current LGR Enrollment & Partnerships Manager