Lauren Petersen

1. Lauren fell in love with Ball State after attending a summer workshop on campus her junior year of high school:” “During my junior year at Bluffton High School, my long-held interest in architecture and my passion for people and communities came together, sparking a new interest in understanding how I could play a role in transforming communities for the better. One of my teachers recommended I attend Ball State’s Design Thinking Summer Workshop, a two-week camp for rising seniors to get a first-hand, condensed experience of a typical semester at the College of Architecture and Planning. After my time at "Architecture Camp," I not only fell in love with the beautiful campus and inspiring professors, I grew even more fascinated by the art of place-making. Thanks to the Lilly Endowment Scholarship investing in my in-state tuition, I knew Ball State University is where I would thrive. Thus, I chose to pursue a degree in Urban Planning and Development, which has allowed me to establish a holistic understanding and approach to serving individuals and communities with the goal of making this place we call home, a place we love to live.”

2. Representing the University as a cultural ambassador to Poland as a Fulbright Scholar is Lauren’s favorite Ball State memory: “During my senior year of college at Ball State, I felt like I still wasn’t sure which career path was best for me, but I was confident in knowing that I wanted to travel the world and be a part of something completely new and unfamiliar. I went from being the top of my class and confident in my pursuits at Ball State University to moving to a completely new country upon graduation and not knowing anyone there, nor the language. That heaviness of being successful was replaced by the fact that I was a complete beginner again, questioning everything. This experience truly allowed me to enter one of the most creative and fulfilling experiences of my life. Serving as a Fulbright Scholar has been an extraordinarily rewarding and life-changing experience. Senator Fulbright’s vision of “A little more knowledge, a little more reason, and a little more compassion,” and learning to “Live in peace and friendship,” will always resonate within me. The year-long sabbatical representing Ball State University in Poland truly expanded my intellectual and cultural horizons, as it was an insatiable pursuit to delve completely into mutual understanding and compassion for humanity.”

3. Lauren’s advice for future students to help them have a fulfilling career and meaningful lives? “For me, the key to building a fulfilling career and creating a meaningful life has been finding what gives me joy and energy, which in turn, allows me to define when I feel most alive. Magic happens when all three of these are true!”