Lauren Brown

Q: What is your full name? What is the meaning behind your name?

A: Lauren Elaine Brown. The name Lauren means wisdom. My parents liked the name Lauren and that’s why they picked it. But Elaine was my great grandmother’s name. She died the year before I was born so we never met. But she was a wonderful person and so me and many of my cousins have been named after her. 

Q: What makes you unique?

A: I have two pairs of glasses. On different occasions, they have been bent in the same place. I have been able to fix them as well as I could but they are still a little bit crooked in the same way. . 

Q: How would you describe yourself in two words? Why those two?

A: Ambitious and adventurous. I have always been the go-getter. One time I applied for a job and I didn’t tell my parents about it until I had gotten it. They didn’t tell me to get a job, I just did. As for being adventurous, I am always up to do anything. If someone says “Hey we should go on a trip.” I’m already looking up plane tickets.

Q: What makes you feel alive?

A: Going to my cabin with all of my little cousins. We ride four wheelers, go on moose hunts, build tree houses, fish, play card games, and raft the river. I love spending time with little kids because they see the world as a simple and innocent place. They remind me of my own childhood, and give me hope that the world doesn’t have to be so complicated and hard because that is not how they see it.  

Q: What does music mean to you?

A: Music is everything. It is what, in my opinion, best captures human emotion and experience. Music has the unique power to unite us and make us feel less alone. I love music so much, it has gotten me through so many things. It is one of the most powerful things on earth, it has the ability to change our hearts. 

Q: What is something you do that is unique to your family, your culture, or the way you were raised?

A: Despite being to 30 states, 37 national parks, and Canada, I have never been on a plane. I grew up on road trips, going to gas stations all over the country and memorizing each state’s license plate. I also have spent most of those road trips with my grandparents. Because of those trips I have become very close with my family. I may have never been on a plane, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. The relationships I have built with my family are worth more to me than any plane ticket. 

Q: What motivates your choice of outfit each day, what does it mean to you?

A: At this point in my life, everyone is asking me what I am going to be when I grow up and expecting an answer. But the truth is, I have no clue who I am going to be. But the beauty of choosing an outfit is that you get to choose who you are going to be for just one day. When I choose an outfit, I am deciding who I am going to be for the day. For me, an outfit is a true form of self expression. It shows who you are in the moment. With everyone around me so concerned about the future, how I dress allows me to focus on who I am in the present.

Q: What has the biggest impact on your mood throughout the day?

A: The music I listen to. No matter what kind of day I am having, good or bad, there is always going to be a song that reflects how I am feeling. Music will always help me feel better because it shows me that there are people out there who understand what I am going through. There is a song for every moment and finding the right song for the right moment makes the day 100x better.