Kellogg Community College Foundation Gold Key Scholarship recipient Lauren Garrison graduated from Pennfield High School in 2020 and is studying graphic design with the goal of finding work as a freelancer or in a design center after her time at KCC.
Below, Garrison answers some questions about her experiences as a student at KCC and specifically as a Gold Key Scholarship recipient.
What does being a Gold Key Scholar mean to you?
To me, being a Gold Key Scholar means anyone can achieve their goals as long as they set their mind to it and don’t give up! I am grateful for everyone who has supported me up to this point in my life and I want to make them proud and show them their hopes were not lost for me.
What is your favorite thing about the Gold Key Scholarship program?
I love the leadership and enrichment requirements of the Gold Key Scholarship. Without them I would’ve had a regular boring community college experience never going out of my comfort zone. At first the requirements seemed like a drag, but now I am so glad to have pushed my own boundaries and joined the Crude Arts Club!
What is something you learned from your scholarship program leadership, enrichment or service activities?
In regards to the enrichment activities, I’ve come to realize just how prevalent “new things” are and how much fun it is finding and doing new things, lesser or great.
What is one thing you learned about yourself through your development activities as a Gold Key Scholar?
Through the activities I’ve learned to come out of my shell and be more confident mentally and socially.
What is a special memory or experience you’ve had that wouldn’t have happened if not for the Gold Key Scholarship program?
For my leadership activities, I have been an active member of the Crude Arts Club on campus since the Fall 2020 semester. Even though our group has dwindled, I have had so much fun working with Mr. Webster to improve my writing and to produce the Mosaic magazine for the campus. The Fall 2021 edition is my favorite because, while not an official Mosaic, I have been given the opportunity to use my graphic design skills to design and lay out the entire zine! This zine is the unofficial version of the magazine because we did not get art submissions for the Mosaic, so this edition is literary only.
I honestly couldn’t say I would’ve joined the Crude Arts Club if it weren’t for filling the leadership activity requirement. Thanks to that, I’ve had a wonderful time in the club and hope to get more people interested in joining and working on their writing outside of any English classes!
What do you ultimately want to do for a career, and why did you choose that profession?
I want to be a visual artist to some degree. It sounds vague, but in truth, that’s intentional. Rather than limiting myself to one path, I want to be open and available for various areas of creation and art because I love variety and trying new things and finding new skills to master.
KCC Foundation scholarship applications for new, returning and graduating KCC students are available now and can be completed entirely online for free. Visit kellogg.edu/kccscholarships for links to scholarship applications and more information about scholarships for KCC students.
The photo of Garrison above is courtesy of Jasmine McMaster.