The Young Women’s Alliance Foundation (YWAF) is one of YWA’s most important reasons for being. Through it, multiple scholarships are granted to young women entering college or trade school each year.
We caught up with a 2014 recipient, Lauren Caton, a few weeks ago to talk about the impact that scholarship made on her college experience, and what she’s up to now.
Lauren’s commitment to service and leadership was clear from the earliest points of her college career. The Houston native moved to Austin to attend The University of Texas in 2012, where she studied neurobiology and nutritional sciences.
When she was granted the scholarship in 2014, it was twofold: funding for her educational pursuits, as well as funds toward a specific service project or activity. At the time, Lauren was leading GirlAdvocates, a mentorship program that paired college mentors with mentees at a local middle school.
“The funds from the scholarship activity projects component paid for a curricula we designed for the mentors to implement with their students on healthy relationships, healthy eating, body image, and mindfulness,” said Lauren.
“The organization is still in existence,” she continued, “and doing great work to mentor refugee girls at International High School in Austin, TX.”
On the educational side, Lauren was able to fund completion of her Bridging Disciplines certificate in adolescent development — which would prove valuable when she moved from Texas to California to pursue her master’s degree.
At the UC Berkeley School of Public Health in 2016, Lauren pursued a master of public health with a focus on maternal and child epidemiology — with a focus on adolescent mental health. She now works as a research associate at Stanford University, and the commitment to service that she exhibited as a young college student has not waned.
“I’m still working toward my focus in mental health, but in relation to the opioid epidemic and substance use disorders,” she explained.
“I conduct research at Stanford University School of Medicine evaluating California and the nation’s federal response to the epidemic, as measured through expansion of Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) which are used to treat patients experiencing opioid dependence.”
Outside of work, she’s active on the associate board for Girls on the Run, a national organization dedicated to empowering girls through physical activity. “I’ve been a coach for several years here in the Bay Area, and have elevated my involvement this year,” said Lauren.
And, last but not least, Lauren is a member of her local League of Women’s Voters — a non-partisan organization dedicated to preserving voter rights and promoting active civic participation.
