SANFORD, NC - As Lee County High School’s Valedictorian prepares to walk across the graduation stage tonight, Lauren Sloan is reflecting less on grades and accolades, and more on the people, experiences and moments that shaped her journey.
Sloan, who will attend North Carolina State University this fall to study biological sciences, hopes to eventually pursue medical school and become a physician.
“I always knew I wanted to go into the medical field or something to help people,” Sloan said. “So I’m going to hopefully apply that biological science to maybe med school in the future.”
Her path to NC State was not exactly what she expected. Despite deep family ties to the university - both her mother and grandfather attended the school - Sloan initially wasn’t even planning to apply.
“My mom was like, ‘Lauren, just apply for me,” she said with a laugh. “I wasn’t even going to visit NC State because I have been there so many times. I got in, and it got closer to May. I still wasn’t sure where I wanted to go.”
Everything changed after she asked her mom to finally make an official visit to the campus shortly before Decision Day.
“I fell in love with the campus, and I knew that the people around me were people I wanted to be surrounded with,” Lauren explained. “I think in the back of my brain, I always knew that.”
At Lee County High School, Sloan built a reputation that extended far beyond academics. While she excelled in the classroom through the school’s International Baccalaureate (IB) program and AP courses, she also immersed herself in extracurricular activities, including dance, golf and community service.
One of her proudest accomplishments was serving as president of the Key Club, a service organization affiliated with Kiwanis International. Through the club, Lauren helped organize projects benefitting the Sanford community, including partnering with local non-profit “Good and Glory” to support children battling cancer.
“I got to see a bunch of kids throughout Lee County feel passionate about something that wasn’t just about ourselves,” she said. “That is really exciting for me.”
Though graduating first in her class is a major achievement, Sloan said she hopes classmates remember her for more than academics.
“I feel like the valedictorian can be seen as somebody that’s only super smart,” she said. “But I hope people have gained an appreciation that you can be so much more than just brains or athletics or something people paint you as.”
In addition to her school involvement, Lauren has spent the last two years working at MonkeyKat Books, a local bookstore where she combined her love of reading with her desire to connect with others.
“Reading has always been something to calm me down whenever I’m stressed,” Lauren said. “It’s kind of an escape for me. I love getting to share that with other people.”
Lauren credits many of her teachers with helping prepare her for college and life beyond high school, especially her IB English teacher, Mrs. Brown, whom she says transformed the way she views literature and communication.
“It was so much more than just reading books or writing essays,” Sloan said. “You learn how to connect literature to the world around you.”
As valedictorian, Sloan will address her classmates during graduation ceremonies tonight. While she admits she’ll likely feel pressure in the moment, she knows exactly who she’ll be thinking about.
“I think I’m going to be thinking about little Lauren,” she smiled. “She’s worked really hard.”
She also plans to reflect on the support of her family, who she says kept her grounded throughout high school. In fact, part of her speech centers around an unexpected theme: pizza.
“I speak of one of my family members and pizza,” Lauren explained. “Something as simple as a shared meal has really shaped and supported me.”
As she closes this chapter, Sloan says the hardest part about leaving Lee County High School will be saying goodbye to the people who made it feel like home.
“The staff here, the students here, are some of the best I could have ever met,” she grinned. “They really want to see you thrive.”
And if she could offer advice to her freshman-year self?
“Try everything,” she beamed. “I cannot thank myself enough for trying things because it made me able to meet so many amazing people that I wouldn’t have met had I just stayed at home or went to class every day.”