Meet Lauren
The small class size of the Urban and Regional Studies major has provided Lauren with a tight-knit community of like-minded peers within the larger university. Academically, her passion lies in understanding how laws impact urban poverty and quality of life, leading her to pursue a public policy minor to study the real-world consequences of government decisions.
What clubs/activities are you involved with on campus?
I am part of the Organization for Urban and Regional Studies (OURS), AAP Ambassadors, and the AAP Community Crew, and I have an on-campus job at the Statler Hotel.
Why is the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) a great fit for you?
The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning has been a great fit for me for many reasons. One of them is the tight-knit community that the Urban and Regional Studies major offers. My major class size is relatively small, having just over 30 students,allowing me to get to know most of my classmates. This community is an amazing support system I could not imagine going without. The support is not just from my peers, AAP offers all of its students extraordinary support, and their Office of Student Services has been one of the most useful resources I have found.
What is your academic passion?
Urban studies encompass many different aspects of the built environment and how people interact with it, along with how laws affect these interactions. For me, I am the most interested in how laws affect urban poverty and quality of life. People's quality of life in cities is a topic that has become increasingly interesting to me and has become intertwined with my previous passions. These passions have led me to start working toward a public policy minor so I can gain a better understanding of government policy and how policy affects everyday people.
What is one piece of advice or something you wish you knew when you were applying?
I found reaching out to colleges and ambassadors intimidating when I was applying to college, so I often would wait to email or call. Waiting will not make the intimidation go away, so reach out! The sooner you do, the sooner you will get answers. Everyone you are contacting to help and answer your questions.
How did you find your friends and community at Cornell?
Many of my close friends are also in Urban and Regional Studies. Our similar interests allowed us to become friends quickly, and I am so glad that this major allowed me to meet them. I met other friends by living on the same floor of my dorm, and I ran into them multiple times before becoming friends. I also met friends through clubs or from running into them over and over again because of our common schedules.
Hometown
Cleveland, OhioGraduation Year
2027College/School
- College of Architecture, Art, and Planning
Majors
- Urban and Regional Studies
Minors
- Public Policy
Tell us about your favorite thing to do in Ithaca.
Exploring Ithaca is one of my favorite things to do. Once I became familiar with Ithaca's public transportation (TCAT), I quickly found it fun to go on solo adventures around Ithaca. From going to the Ithaca Commons to visit the cats at the Alley Cat Cafe to finding new trails to walk, this time to myself is special. Everyone at Cornell is busy and it’s normal to spend a lot of time with other people, so being able to take time to myself to explore new places has become one of my favorite things to do in Ithaca.
Tell us about an off-campus program you’ve participated in.
I am currently the trip planner for OURS, the Organization for Urban and Regional Studies.This year, I was able to join the club for an overnight trip to Pittsburgh. I loved this trip, and I got to know both club members and the city. We met with officials and Cornell alumni that offered a lot of information about the city. I was also able to join our second trip of the year to Utica. I had never been to Utica before and being able to see the city and meet with their officials was enlightening. I am excited to work with other club members next year to make future trips even better.
Where is your go-to place to eat on campus, and what is your favorite thing to order?
I never thought I would miss chicken noodle soup when coming to college, but chicken noodle soup was the one I missed the most. One of the best places to get it on campus is Goldie’s Cafe, and I go at least once a week to get it during the winter. They also have great sandwiches to get for lunch as well. Overall, Goldie’s has some of the best cafe food.
What makes the Cornell experience unique?
People are what make the Cornell experience unique. There are so many different types of people here who are passionate about different things with different real world experiences than me. Being able to learn from everyone's experiences is an opportunity I wouldn't trade for the world. People here are outspoken, passionate, and opinionated. I came to Cornell to learn. I am happy to say I don’t just learn from professors. I learn from every person I talk to.
Tell us about your favorite place to study.
I have many study spots on campus that I like to frequent. One of my favorites is the Dean’s Room in Uris Library. The room has both desks and comfortable chairs. The library is in a convenient location for when I need to get work done between classes and the Dean’s Room specifically always has space.
Tell us about your favorite spot on campus or in Ithaca.
One of my favorite places in Ithaca is the Alley Cat Cafe. This cafe has two of my favorite things: cats and coffee! If I’m on the Ithaca Commons, I always stop by the cafe to grab a coffee, but when I am missing my cat, I like to take the time to sit with the cafe’s cats. It helps me not miss my cat as much and is a great place to just relax if I have had a particularly busy week.