"I first met Lauren in 2018 when I was finishing up the last semester of my undergraduate degree; I was sent to her classroom to work as a Childcare Worker (CCW) where I would help support her students who had emotional impairments. Lauren immediately stood out to me as someone special in the school:  she was the lead teacher in a special education classroom with students in first, second, and third grades who were all struggling with emotional impairments due to their living environment. These students were previously placed in rooms throughout their school, without a curriculum to learn, merely to manage behaviors. Lauren immediately worked to ensure our classroom was a warm and welcoming space, that each student in our room - one first-grade boy, two second-grade boys, and two third-grade boys - had a spot in the classroom where they knew they were safe. It certainly didn't happen overnight, but soon, these students were spelling their names, writing full sentences, and engaging in math lessons.

Our students were able to attend general education classes with other students their age for certain lessons throughout the day, with my support, while Lauren would run the classroom. One student was even able to manage his emotions and behaviors to the point where he was able to stay in the general education classroom for the entire day with minimal support from either Lauren or I, which is the ultimate goal of the program in the school for students who had emotional impairments. Our classroom became a sanctuary for students, Lauren becoming a light for students throughout the school, not just those with identified emotional impairments. While I only worked with Lauren the one school year (2018-2019), I have continued to remain in awe of who she is and the work she does each day with children in our community.

Lauren continues to work in public schools with students who struggle with emotional impairments. She continues to work hard to ensure students recognize that it's okay to have big feelings. She works with students on different coping strategies to manage those big feelings as they arise. Lauren wants each student to know that trauma isn't what defines the student, but that the student has the power to define their trauma. Lauren seeks to help students learn to regulate in order to successfully learn academic and behavioral skills.

Lauren is changing our world through the work she is doing with children in the greater Grand Rapids community. She continues to show up and to sit with students who are struggling with their emotions, giving them a space to process, explore, and ultimately learn."