Inspiring Graduate: Lauren Arenz (’24)
- Hometown: Onalaska
- Degree: B.S. Early Childhood Education
- Dual License: Special Education
One of the biggest challenges Lauren Arenz faced while earning her degree at UW-Stout was trying to juggle being a student while maintaining a high grade point average and also being an athlete on a very competitive team.
As a guard on the Blue Devil women's basketball team for four years, she played in 81 games, started in 38, scored 231 points, and had 163 assists, 237 rebounds and 62 steals.
This season, the team won the WIAC championship and made the NCAA DIII championship Sweet 16, UW-Stout's first appearance in the national tournament since 2007.
“Being a college student athlete requires dedication as well as a sense of balance in all aspects of life. I experienced valuable lessons in teamwork, perseverance and personal growth,” said Arenz, who was named to the WIAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
Arenz, the Blue Devils’ sole graduating senior this season, was one of 48 students who received the UW-Stout Scholar Athlete Award, given to senior student athletes with a cumulative 3.5 GPA.
She also received the Outstanding Student Leader of the Year award at the annual Leadership Awards this spring and was nominated for the 2024 WHG Humanitarian Award.
Arenz earned her B.S. in early childhood education on May 4, along with 1,037 graduates and plans to continue her education and become a language speech pathologist at an elementary school.
How well has UW-Stout prepared you to work in your field and why?
My experiences at UW-Stout have made a monumental difference helping me to better understand my future aspirations in life.
Stout has set me up for success in my future and has prepared me to work in my field by giving me many preteaching and teaching placements where I could observe and have hands-on learning with children of all ages.
I’ve taught in Baldwin-Woodville in a kindergarten classroom, a pre-K classroom in Minneapolis, and had many experiences in Menomonie ranging from 1-year-olds up to third-graders.
With each of these classrooms, I learned many new strategies and ideas and, of course, built my resume.
What stands out about your UW-Stout experience?
What stands out to me about my Stout experience is how special this community makes me feel. The welcoming atmosphere and inclusive community immediately made me feel at home.
From the friendly faces on campus to the supportive faculty and staff, I found a sense of belonging that enriched my college experience.
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Continue ReadingHow did your campus involvement impact your experience?
Being a member of UW-Stout’s women’s basketball team made my journey at Stout so memorable.
I was lucky enough to make history at Stout with my teammates, who will continue to be my lifelong friends.
We became WIAC regular-season champions, WIAC tournament champions, made the NCAA Sweet 16 and broke countless scoring records.
From all my home games at Johnson Fieldhouse, where we led our conference in attendance, to winning the conference and making it to the NCAA national tournament gave me such amazing memories that will last a lifetime.
I have been awarded as a scholar athlete all four years and made the Dean's list every semester.
I never could have accomplished any of this without the help of my teammates, coaches, training staff, and of course, my professors.
What are you most proud of as you finish your degree?
I am most proud of how I put myself out there to make the most of all my experiences.
You don't always get to pick and choose what you do with your life, so sometimes you just need to face the fact that things won’t go your way, and you roll with it.
I was fortunate enough to meet some special people at Stout who taught me many life lessons that I will continue to use throughout my career and life.
