Student Profile: Lauren Bell ’11

Lauren Bell is a traveler. She was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, where she lived for 11 years before moving to London. Now, her family lives in New Jersey, but ask her where home really is, and she’ll tell you that it’s none of those.

“My home is Holland,” she says.

In choosing Hope, all it took was one visit.

“I wanted something completely different, a smaller school with lots of activities and an appealing campus and close, friendly atmosphere.” On an overnight visit to Hope College, she was able to attend the Gathering, the Sunday-night worship service held every week in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.

“I was blown away. I asked, ‘Is this mandatory?’ They said no, that everyone who was there chose to be there. I loved everything about it.” That tour was enough to convince her.

Now, as a tour guide for Hope’s Office of Admissions, Lauren has the opportunity to share her experience at Hope with prospective
students.

“Honestly,” she says with a laugh, “I don’t really need to say anything because the campus speaks for itself. But of course I do talk. I tell parents and students about my experiences at Hope.”
In addition to guiding tours, Lauren is involved in Dance Marathon, a 24-hour, up-on-your-feet fundraiser for Helen DeVos
Children’s Hospital that takes all year to plan. Her main role is to recruit moralers to participate in the event. Dance Marathon
serves as a shining example of how active Hope students are in campus activities.

“On a campus like Hope, it’s not that hard to find people who want to get involved. Students choose to participate in all sorts of events. They don’t go home on weekends. They stay on campus.”
Her experiences as a part of the Admissions Office and Dance Marathon have served her well as she seeks her degree in communication.

“My thought in deciding my major was: What can I travel with?” Lauren appreciates that Hope’s curriculum has provided her with the opportunity to explore a variety of disciplines and find a program that matched her interests and supported her in achieving her goals.

“What motivated me was language. At a liberal arts college, it’s broad. You can change your mind; you can look and look till you find your passion. When you do, you go with it.”

Which is exactly what Lauren has done at Hope. Where will her passions take her next?

“I hope to travel and look for a public relations job,” she says with a smile. “but mostly, I just want to travel.”

This profile was written by Charlie A. Walter, a Hope College senior from Grand Rapids, Mich., for the 2010-11 Hope College Catalog.

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