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Being a McAuley Scholar allowed Lauren Imhoff ’22 to attend the school of her dreams—Mount Mercy大学. During her time on campus, she created Gen 1—a club to support first-generation college students.

When Lauren first stepped on campus, it felt like a piece of home. 有一次她参观了仁慈山, she knew she didn’t need to see another school—she had made her decision.

“I just got so excited—I didn’t really think about the financial aspect of things,劳伦说。.

Lauren was a first-generation student 和 paying for college on her own. 被授予 凯瑟琳·麦考利奖学金 allowed her to be more involved on campus 和 focus on her studies.

“We wanted Gen 1 to be a home away from home for individuals on campus who felt like they needed their questions answered.”
——劳伦·伊姆霍夫22岁

Lauren had the opportunity to join a supportive network of McAuley Scholars, 和 she took advantage of her time on campus by finding ways to support students who were in similar situations. She was a Mustang 导师, a student leader for AmeriCorps, a 项目连接 导师, 和—with inspiration 和 help from 项目连接 Director Jennifer McNabb—started a new club to uplift fellow first-generation students: Gen 1.

“We wanted Gen 1 to be a home away from home for individuals on campus who felt like they needed their questions answered,劳伦说。. “It’s led by a group of students who knew exactly what they were going through 和 could help them with any aspect of their life.”

At the end of Gen 1’s first official year as a club, it was granted the Student Organization of the Year Award at the Mustang Leadership Awards. For Lauren, this moment is a highlight in her time at Mount Mercy.

“It showed that what we were doing had an impact,劳伦说。.

Lauren gives 项目连接 a lot of credit for the leadership skills she used to start Gen 1. As a 项目连接 导师, she was able to build leadership 和 communication skills 和 network.

“The person I am now 和 the person I was as a freshman are two completely different people, 和 I give 100% of the credit to 项目连接,劳伦说。.

Joining 项目连接 和 being a McAuley Scholar allowed Lauren to make meaningful connections 和 join a supportive community at the start of her Mount Mercy career.

“I know some of my best friends today from the McAuley Scholarship,” shared Lauren.

Her connections don’t stop with fellow students. Jennifer McNabb has been an inspiration for Lauren during her entire time on the Hill. Jennifer gave the initial inspiration for Gen 1, 和 continued to work with Lauren to fulfill their goal of creating a supportive space for first-generation students.

“She saw potential in me that I didn’t necessarily see in myself,” Lauren shared. “That’s given me the confidence to do a lot of things that I’ve been able to do here.”

Director of Career Services Kalindi Garvin also had a meaningful impact on Lauren’s time at Mount Mercy.

Lauren knew she wanted to be in a helping profession, but during her first year she discovered that nursing was not the right track for her. 卡林迪帮助劳伦发现了这一点 医疗保健管理 和 公共卫生 were areas that fit her skills 和 goals better.

In her classes, Lauren learned skills that have a real-life application. These came in h和y during her internship as a Healthcare Administrator Assistant at Mercy Medical Center.

“A lot of things I was learning, specifically health literacy, really helped me in my internship.”

“The McAuley Scholarship meant I was able to come to my dream school.”
——劳伦·伊姆霍夫22岁

All of the experiences that shaped Lauren’s time on the Hill helped her to gain meaningful skills 和 connections. Those moments were possible with help from the McAuley Scholarship.

“The McAuley Scholarship meant I was able to come to my dream school,劳伦说。.

Lauren is excited to take what she learned at Mount Mercy 和 apply it in her career after she graduates in December.

“Mount Mercy is my favorite place in the world, 和 I’m so happy that I chose to come here,劳伦说。. “I think that the opportunities I’ve gotten here are really unique, 和 I don’t know if I would have gotten it at a bigger university.”