Senior Women’s basketball forward Lauren Brown has an impressive statistics sheet on the court, but her academic skills are just as awe-inspiring.
Brown walked into an empty Alumni Gym in a dress and heels she is wearing due to a prior speaking engagement at a women’s philanthropy event. She entered the gym as confident and poised in business attire as she seems to be in a uniform on game day.
Brown helped her team win the Colonial Athletic Association championship this season. It was the first conference championship Elon has played in since 2001. The team’s successes didn’t stop there, as they were the first Elon team to make an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
“There was a lot of support,” Brown said. “I walk around campus and people will speak and show their appreciation. It has been nice to know that we have done something special for the university.”
Brown said this past season was the most special of her college career with the conference championship as one of the highlights.
“Our championship game was so unreal. James Madison has the most support out of any team in our conference. Keep in mind they have won it the past three years. They have a player, senior guard, Precious Hall, who is really a star. James Madison did a video of her where she said, ‘I won’t let anyone celebrate on my court.’ After we won, it was such a surreal feeling.”
Brown said life after basketball is different and she is amazed by the amount of free time she has, which is occupied by “relaxation and Netflix.”
While it may seem that Brown has more free time on her hands, the research and academic work in the health sciences department shows differently. Brown works as a research assistant with Elon BrainCARE, she conducts concussion research with other student athletes. There, she adds game-like situations to fellow Elon athletes and often her teammates.
Brown plans to continue her research by entering a masters thesis program at the University of Georgia — her home state — this fall.
She says working at Alamance Regional Hospital this past summer helped her discover passions outside of basketball.
“I was in the float pool, which means they had the flexibility to send me everywhere. When I went to the mother/baby unit I fell in love. It was such an amazing experience,” Brown said.
Brown said after her master’s degree, she wants to attend medical school to pursue becoming an OB-GYN or Neonatologist.
As far as basketball, she says, “I absolutely love basketball, but at this point I am focused on my career.” But, she hasn’t completely thrown in the towel.
“I have a friend at UGA on the basketball team that I played summer ball with. I am literally going to go to the coach at UGA and be like ‘Hey can I be a practice player or can I do anything to help out.’ I already miss it.”
She said Elon allowed her to pursue a passion in basketball ,but also helped her excel in academia as well.
“I am honored to have had the opportunity to represent this amazing university,” Brown said. “Not only to play basketball, but also to pursue my other passions off the court. I think something that is awesome about Elon is that I have never been pigeon-holed into just being a student athlete.”