Lauren Skar, Trailblazer Fall 2018

Lauren was awarded an Ann Bancroft Foundation grant in the fall of 2018 to play competitive volleyball at club AAU volleyball. She participated on the club’s top team where she traveled around the country, furthering her technical development and pursuing her dream of playing college volleyball.    

Now, Lauren is a Junior at St. Kate’s where she is playing Division III volleyball while also pursuing a degree. She will graduate in December of 2022 and hopes to travel and work in the environmental education field.  

While ABF helped Lauren pursue her dream, she also is grateful for the important life lessons ABF taught her. One of the most valuable lessons Lauren learned was how to formulate a resume. For the application process, Lauren had to sit down and physically write down her goals and qualifications. Learning how to advocate for herself and organize her achievements into a resume, Lauren has found this quality to translate into her adult life.  

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Lauren was able to take a break from volleyball and spend time with her family when she moved home to do school remotely. Looking back, she appreciates the time she spent at home with her family, along with going on daily walks. Lauren has implicated some of her quarantine routines into her daily life by structuring time to go on walks and enjoy her surroundings. Lastly, Lauren’s advice for future trailblazers is “to always go for it, the worst thing you can hear is no.”