Listen On:
Spotify | Google | Apple
In this episode of the podcast, we speak with Lauren Morehead, who has been a part of the Shoulder-to-Shoulder community in many different capacities. As a student, Lauren participated in both the New Orleans and Nepal courses, but her involvement didn’t stop there. Today, Lauren is an active member of the Board of Directors.
Lauren first discovered Shoulder-to-Shoulder as an eighth grader at the Episcopal School of Dallas. She volunteered on a course to help rebuild homes in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, an experience which left an enormous impact on her.
“It was truly more of an education than a trip,” she said. “I learned what it meant to have a greater purpose in the work that you’re doing, but also what it meant to be a leader within your peers.”
Even at such a young age, Lauren immediately became focused on serving communities in need. “Right after New Orleans, I knew that I wanted to continue my journey and growth with Shoulder-to-Shoulder.” So just a few summers later, she participated in another course. This time overseas in Nepal.
She worked on a project in the Solukhumbu District of Nepal, where she helped connect running water to a women’s center. For Lauren, it was an eye-opening experience, “Recognizing that someone across the world who has one one-thousandth of as much resources as I do and is just as happy in many cases.”
These experiences put her own life into perspective. “When you’re in high school, you can get sucked into the world of social problems, and who’s taking me to homecoming, and just the trivial things that really don’t matter.”
Today Lauren has a successful career as a Senior Manager at Gartner and she credits the lessons she gained from her experiences with Shoulder-to-Shoulder as providing fertile ground for her personal growth.
“It’s helped me to just recognize the importance of fulfilling that passion and sense of purpose,” she explains. “What I care about the most is having an impact, and really helping to grow and inspire others.”
Lauren has emerged as an important voice on the Shoulder-to-Shoulder Board of Directors and brings not only her passion and enthusiasm but her unique perspective. It was inspiring to hear Lauren’s story and we are grateful to have her as part of the Shoulder-to-Shoulder family!
To hear more about Lauren’s journey as well as other inspirational stories from the Shoulder-to-Shoulder community, be sure to tune into the Shoulder-to-Shoulder Podcast. If you are inspired by Lauren’s story, please consider supporting the organization by sharing these stories.