Meet the 2013-2014 Fundraisers Chair: Lauren Ward

Tell us about yourself.

I am a senior public relations major with a minor in business administration. I am the fundraisers chair for Illinois State University’s PRSSA Chapter. Originally, I am from Oak Forest, Ill. where I attended Oak Forest High School. It is about two hours north of ISU. I have one older sister and a younger brother who is a freshman here at ISU.

Have you always known you wanted to major in public relations?

No, actually, I didn’t. I did not know what I wanted to do for a long time. In high school, my aunt told me she had a friend who planned a lot of events at Northern Illinois University. I thought that career sounded like fun, so I decided to look into it. I researched more about the public relations major and decided that it was what I wanted to do, and I came to ISU my freshman year as a public relations major.

As the fundraisers chair for PRSSA, have you always been interested in this position?

Yes, I have always been interested in event planning. I joined PRSSA my freshman year and have been on the development committee ever since. I joined PRSSA because I knew it would look good on my resume and I wanted to become more involved. I decided to run for the fundraisers chair position to build my leadership skills.

What do you do in your free time?

I like to watch movies, but I also work out often.  I love listening to music, specifically country music and enjoy going to concerts. I also enjoy hanging out with friends.

What is your dream job?

I really like Red Frog Events. I haven’t decided yet whether I want to work for an event planning company or work in the corporate side of public relations.

Who is your role model?

My mom- we are basically the same person. She never puts herself first, always her kids. She never spends much money on herself either. She is a giver. Everything she does is for us. That’s just her character.

If you won $20 million, what would you do?

First, I would finish paying for college. I would then donate some of it to charity. I would probably give some of the money to my family as well. I would definitely go on vacation because I have always wanted to travel to Italy.

Do you have any plans for after graduation?

No, not any specific plans. I am just focused on school as of right now, but I hope to find a job after graduation.

Have you had any internship experience?

Yes, I was an intern at the Illinois State University Office of the Provost, located in Hovey Hall. I worked for Dr. Bailey on internationalizing ISU. I planned events for guest speakers to come to the University. Part of my job when planning events was to order food and drinks for the events. I also posted updates on the website and emailed teachers about events and guest speakers.  I also had an internship in Chicago with the American Diabetes Association. I worked on an event called Tour de Cure. It was a bike race fundraiser, and I helped with the flyers. I also was involved with the newsletter and just helped any other little tasks they needed.


Questions composed by Ashley Funderburk

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