Welcome Lauren!
We are happy to introduce to you our new colleague Lauren!
So, tell us, who is Lauren?
Hello! My name is Lauren and I'm the newest Program Coordinator to join the team! I was born in Staten Island, New York (the forgotten borough!) but have lived my entire life in New Jersey, right across the water! I live perfectly centered between Philadelphia and New York City - an hour away from both locations. In which i can enjoy the city life but go back to my quiet suburbs after a fun day/weekend out. I graduated with my bachelor's degree in marketing from Kean University, after college I started my marketing career which has led me down multiple paths over the years. I love exploring the city that never sleeps - especially viewing Broadway plays or just enjoying the amazing cultural cuisines that are available in the Big Apple!
What have you seen of the world so far and which country is on top of your bucket list?
The country that has always been at the top of my bucket list is Egypt - I have been fascinated with the history and architecture of the country since my school days. I hope to one day, walk in the Valley of the Kings and see the pyramids! I'm an avid cruiser - I love to take a cruise once a year typically to the Caribbean. I've been able to explore many countries and places via my floating cruise hotel. I have travelled much of the East Coast of the USA, with some places to the West - like California, Colorado and Nevada. I have been to Mexico to see the Mayan ruins and Canada and parts of Europe.
What has been your most remarkable experience abroad?
The best travels I have had thus far was on my honeymoon, we went on a 12 day Mediterranean cruise. Our cruise left out of Barcelona and travelled to Florence, Rome, Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Cannes, Valletta. We spent extra time in Barcelona taking in the amazing architecture and delicious tapas! I was blown away by the Sagrada Familia - how can a structure over 100 years old still be in the process of being built! What I found the most fascinating was seeing the statue of David in person - I never realized how big and detailed the statue was - out of one block of marble! I went into that trip excited to see Athens and Rome. I left having fallen in love with Florence and Barcelona. Seeing ancient buildings and structures in real life doesn't come close to what you learn in your history books. Especially the culture surrounding the countries - it's amazing to see and speak with the people who live in these locations. I'm looking forward to traveling to Europe again - our Ireland trip was cancelled from Covid - so hoping we can reschedule that in the next couple years!
