After graduating from Linfield in 2011, Lauren attended UC Davis where she studied Animal Science. While in college, she worked in an animal research facility and taught internship classes about bird handling, and she also spent summers volunteering in Belize to release endangered birds back into the wild. After graduating, she worked for a time with a program focused on releasing rare birds on the island of Maui, and she currently is employed at the San Diego Zoo where she raises exotic and endangered bird species.
In her spare time, she gardens, raises native butterflies, and trains service dogs for Canine Companions for Independence. Since college, Lauren has actually raised three puppies for people with disabilities! She and her husband, Thomas, an aerospace engineer, enjoy spending time with their current service puppy, and they also host a weekly Saddleback Church Bible study at their home.
