FOSSI | Meet Lauren Haynes: 2021 FOSSI Scholar Attending North Carolina A&T State

Meet Lauren Haynes: 2021 FOSSI Scholar Attending North Carolina A&T State

August 12, 2021

FOSSI: Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is Lauren Haynes, and I graduated from  Mill Creek High School. I have loved taking advantage of the plethora of programs I was offered there, in particular a STEM program I participated in for three years called EPIC, which developed my understanding of basic principles of engineering and taught me to work and present with others on a cohesive product. Some of my favorite classes were science classes, in particular chemistry, and also art.

Chemistry gave me a chance to express the practical side of my personality, and art allowed me to be expressive and bring out the creative side of my personality. I spent the past summer exploring my love of literature and art by exploring my own heritage through reading autobiographies by former slaves and creating art about current social justice movements that build on that history. When I’m not reading, or completing labs, I like to spend time drawing portraits and creating cohesive art pieces that help me express myself.

FOSSI: Why are you passionate about pursuing a degree in a STEM-related field?

I am passionate about pursuing a degree in a STEM field because I love the problem-solving component of it. During high school, I participated in a three-year science/engineering program that put me outside of my comfort zone, especially in terms of academic rigor and collaborative activites. I got the opportunites to work with others and develop innovative ideas based on the problems we faced in our daily lives, and sometimes it would be really difficult.

My parents have not only worked extremely hard to get me to this point, but they also have been my biggest cheerleaders throughout: pushing me to be better through the best and worst times.

However, no matter how hard it would get, we would always result in a beneficial product. I want to continue that same problem solving and collaborative factor I felt during high school, and experience it during my time in college. I loved working with others and expanding the way I think while simultaneously finding solutions for problems in the lives of others.

FOSSI: Why is receiving the FOSSI scholarship important for you?

Receiving the FOSSI Scholarship was important to me mostly because it gave me an avenue to take some financial burden off of my parents. During the college search, I found that I would choose an out-of-state school, which is significantly more expensive than an in-state option. Seeing this did not deter my parents, however: they were determined to get me there through any means possible.

My parents have not only worked extremely hard to get me to this point, but they also have been my biggest cheerleaders throughout: pushing me to be better through the best and worst times. So FOSSI, as a result, was a mode of partially repaying all of their tremendous support for pursuing higher education and being the main catalysts for my subsequent success.

Fun facts about Lauren

One fun fact about me is that I love to create art. I have been drawing longer than I can remember, and I found that as I grew, I wanted to make art on topics that are important to me and that reflect the world around me. This, for me, was and continues to be my primary form of expression. Additionally, throughout high school, I participated in a program called EPIC, which fostered my love for group work, and is now one of my favorite ways to work on projects —  collaboratively. I am also intrigued by Black history, so I read a lot of recounts of slave history, such as The Narrative of the life of Fredrick Douglass. Learning about the unseen part of slavery is interesting to explore.