Opening doors

Being a McAuley Scholar allowed Lauren Imhoff ’22 to attend the school of her dreams—Mount Mercy University. During her time on campus, she created Gen 1—a club to support first-generation college students.

When Lauren first stepped on campus, it felt like a piece of home. Once she toured Mount Mercy, she knew she didn’t need to see another school—she had made her decision.

“I just got so excited—I didn’t really think about the financial aspect of things,” said Lauren.

Lauren was a first-generation student and paying for college on her own. Being awarded the Catherine McAuley Scholarship allowed her to be more involved on campus and focus on her studies.

“We wanted Gen 1 to be a home away from home for individuals on campus who felt like they needed their questions answered.”
– Lauren Imhoff '22

Lauren had the opportunity to join a supportive network of McAuley Scholars, and she took advantage of her time on campus by finding ways to support students who were in similar situations. She was a Mustang Mentor, a student leader for AmeriCorps, a Project Connect Mentor, and—with inspiration and help from Project Connect Director Jennifer McNabb—started a new club to uplift fellow first-generation students: Gen 1.

“We wanted Gen 1 to be a home away from home for individuals on campus who felt like they needed their questions answered,” said Lauren. “It’s led by a group of students who knew exactly what they were going through and could help them with any aspect of their life.”

At the end of Gen 1’s first official year as a club, it was granted the Student Organization of the Year Award at the Mustang Leadership Awards. For Lauren, this moment is a highlight in her time at Mount Mercy.

“It showed that what we were doing had an impact,” said Lauren.

Lauren gives Project Connect a lot of credit for the leadership skills she used to start Gen 1. As a Project Connect Mentor, she was able to build leadership and communication skills and network.

“The person I am now and the person I was as a freshman are two completely different people, and I give 100% of the credit to Project Connect,” said Lauren.

Joining Project Connect and being a McAuley Scholar allowed Lauren to make meaningful connections and join a supportive community at the start of her Mount Mercy career.

“I know some of my best friends today from the McAuley Scholarship,” shared Lauren.

Her connections don’t stop with fellow students. Jennifer McNabb has been an inspiration for Lauren during her entire time on the Hill. Jennifer gave the initial inspiration for Gen 1, and continued to work with Lauren to fulfill their goal of creating a supportive space for first-generation students.

“She saw potential in me that I didn’t necessarily see in myself,” Lauren shared. “That’s given me the confidence to do a lot of things that I’ve been able to do here.”

Director of Career Services Kalindi Garvin also had a meaningful impact on Lauren’s time at Mount Mercy.

Lauren knew she wanted to be in a helping profession, but during her first year she discovered that nursing was not the right track for her. Kalindi helped Lauren discover that health care administration and public health were areas that fit her skills and goals better.

In her classes, Lauren learned skills that have a real-life application. These came in handy during her internship as a Healthcare Administrator Assistant at Mercy Medical Center.

“A lot of things I was learning, specifically health literacy, really helped me in my internship.”

“The McAuley Scholarship meant I was able to come to my dream school.”
– Lauren Imhoff '22

All of the experiences that shaped Lauren’s time on the Hill helped her to gain meaningful skills and connections. Those moments were possible with help from the McAuley Scholarship.

“The McAuley Scholarship meant I was able to come to my dream school,” said Lauren.

Lauren is excited to take what she learned at Mount Mercy and apply it in her career after she graduates in December.

“Mount Mercy is my favorite place in the world, and I’m so happy that I chose to come here,” said Lauren. “I think that the opportunities I’ve gotten here are really unique, and I don’t know if I would have gotten it at a bigger university.”