COMMUNITY CORNER

by Laura Dorsey

arla and Sam Robinson named their first-born daughter , Lauren . The name came from the Greek word meaning ‘ winner ’. They told her that it is not about beating others but going after what she wants and giving it her all . They encouraged her to think big and said to her that she could be anything she wanted to be . I can only imagine that they were not even ready for how literally Lauren would take that message . Today , 15-year-old Lauren Robinson is taking her parent ’ s message to heart . She is anything and everything she wants to be .

Lauren , a sophomore from Jones College Prep High School in Chicago , is not your typical student . She has a bio that is more extensive than many adults . Besides her academic achievements as an honor roll student , her community and extracurricular activities , including the Foundation Chair , Jack and Jill of America Chicago Chapter , and the varsity golf team , Lauren is also an entrepreneur and accomplished author . Also , this young Chicago dynamo has an impressive resume of winning competitions and a roster of speaking engagements that would make time management an issue for many people .

Entrepreneurship means something different to Lauren , and she speaks candidly about the benefits of young entrepreneurship . Young entrepreneurship is becoming more popular than ever before , and its ripple effect is having a major impact on society . Although the experiences may differ for each , young entrepreneurs get something different from their opportunity . The skills developed as an entrepreneur will become a major asset in the future . And it has proven true . When the then sixth-grader joined the Chicago chapter of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy ( YEA !), her life was destined to never be the same . That is where she learned how to decide whether an idea was just an idea or a real business opportunity . Lauren created her own business : Foodvie .

The purpose of Foodvie is to help people with food allergies , intolerances , or vegan preferences find more food products they can eat . Foodvie is a web application that allows you to easily identify grocery products that fit your needs . The presentation of the business earned her a place in the national YEA competition and a $ 20,000 scholarship to Rochester Institute of Technology . This win led to multiple public speaking and networking opportunities . Most recently , Lauren was just selected to be on a citywide Youth

Advisory Council to plan a Girl ’ s Summit hosted by the City of Chicago .

Opportunities continue to present themselves . Lauren is part of twenty-three students who joined together to author IDEAs to Amplify Student Voices . These students wanted to inspire others with their stories of using technology to learn , create , design , and amplify their voices . In the book , released 9 / 1 / 20 , students from across Illinois share their stories about the innovative , creative , and inspirational ways they use technology in their classrooms , communities , and home environments to transform their own learning experiences .

Lauren continues to be anything and everything she wants to be . Upon graduation , she wants to study biomedical engineering research , the broad area of science that looks for ways to prevent and treat diseases that cause illness and death in people and animals . She has achieved all of her success with the support of her family , who are so proud of her and her accomplishments . They remind Lauren that God has given her a unique set of gifts and talents and that she has everything she needs to be whatever she wants to be . n

VOL 8 , Issue 1 ⁿ IBA Success Magazine 59