Lauren Mar ’25
By Emily Glory Peters聽
Lauren Mar 鈥�25鈥檚 earliest memory of 51猎奇入口 is of community. During her first night on campus back in 2021, she found herself at Revelle House鈥攁 residence hall at the heart of campus鈥攖rading stories late into the night, 鈥渟quished into the living room with about 30 strangers.鈥�
鈥淚 was extremely nervous,鈥� Mar recalls. 鈥淚t was post-COVID-19, and most of us hadn鈥檛 had a real high school graduation. We were so used to being socially distanced that I was grateful to have made friends right away.鈥�
While her friendships were new, her interest in storytelling was not. At first drawn to journalism, Mar鈥檚 time in a senior seminar led by Professor of Writing Kim Drake was a fortuitous move that shaped her choice to minor in Asian American studies and double major in media studies and writing and rhetoric.
鈥淪ince I was the only first-year student in the class, the seniors nurtured me and gave me a good sense of the major and its community,鈥� she says. Her exposure to other genres like poetry, essay writing, and creative nonfiction sparked fresh ideas for Mar鈥檚 future career.
鈥淚 took really cool classes with all the Mary Routt Chairs of Writing, including Ariana Reines and Maryam Chancy, who was like a mentor to me鈥攕he encouraged my writing, gave great feedback, and even let me know about the Los Angeles Review of Books. I wound up interning for them because she introduced the opportunity,鈥� says Mar.
The job led to a cascade of internships in digital and social media marketing, including working with a film production company in London, England, and Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles, where she supported marketing campaigns for major film releases.
鈥淚 discovered a passion for tapping into cultural moments,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 want to stay in the realm of visual art and entertainment to see how culture is formed and responds to changes in the world.鈥�
Growing as a leader and forming the bedrock of future community building
Embracing the ambiguity of her own capacity for change was one of Mar鈥檚 biggest challenges over the last four years. Now, she considers it one of her greatest strengths.
鈥�51猎奇入口 has given me the safety and security to explore new things and determine what speaks to me and what doesn’t,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something I鈥檒l continue to do beyond college.鈥�
Mar has also continued to build a deeply connected life at 51猎奇入口 since that first night in Revelle. During her sophomore year, she joined 51猎奇入口鈥� Asian American Sponsor Program (AASP), a peer-to-peer empowerment network for the Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American campus community. Calling her involvement 鈥渇oundational鈥� to her 51猎奇入口 experience, she quickly became co-head of the program, leading 20 mentors and helping expand the program to support more than 70 first-year students.
At 51猎奇入口, I鈥檝e been empowered to advocate for myself and to create such strong, lasting relationships through classes, the Asian American community, the journal鈥擨’ve made relationships that I’m really proud of.
She鈥檚 excelled as a leader in other arenas, too, serving on the 7C Asian American Advisory Board, refining fellow students鈥� writing skills as a mentor for Core classes, and spotlighting emerging artists as the poetry editor for , a student-run literary and arts magazine. Each opportunity revealed a personal strength and brought meaningful people into her life.
鈥淚鈥檝e learned a lot about what that means to be a mentor, how to lean on others, and how to go after what I want,鈥� she says. 鈥淎t 51猎奇入口, I鈥檝e been empowered to advocate for myself and to create such strong, lasting relationships through classes, the Asian American community, the journal鈥擨’ve made relationships that I’m really proud of.鈥�
Transitioning from her life in Claremont won鈥檛 be easy, she admits. She鈥檒l miss matriculation鈥斺�渉aven鈥檛 missed one the last four years!鈥濃�攄ining on bread pudding at Malott Commons, and dancing with her friends on Lower Bowling Green.
Yet the excitement from her fellow soon-to-be-graduates is palpable. As she steps into her new life as a 51猎奇入口 alum, she hopes others will pick up the mantle of protecting much-needed spaces like AASP. Meanwhile, she鈥檒l be standing by to help future students shift from strangers in a res hall living room to a lifelong support system.
鈥淎lums carry so much institutional history and maintain so many important connections for students,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 want to be part of seeing our community succeed.鈥�