Lauren Kaiser

Lauren transferred to UC San Diego after excelling at Bakersfield College. While there she earned the Department Award in Biology as well as the Pat Lee Memorial Award for the top chemistry student. She was also awarded the Phillips 66 Women in STEM Scholarship, the Paul M. Baldwin Leadership Award, and the Michael & Jane Budy Transfer Award, a scholarship given to a promising science student transferring to a four-year school.

To add to this impressive list, she also received the MESA Creator of the Year Award, given to one student annually who demonstrates having taken charge of their education in a STEM field and “embracing the responsibility to create their own future in these disciplines.” Through the MESA program she was able to access unique opportunities. One was participating in an Urban Carnivores Internship, where she gathered data on the endangered San Joaquin Kit Fox. Another opportunity was doing research at Binghamton University; she expects her research paper to be submitted soon for publication. She is now active in the BC/MESA alumni program where she mentors students at Bakersfield College to facilitate their transferring to a four-year institution.

To supplement her income Lauren has worked at In-N-Out Burger and at Bakersfield College, where she was a STEM community leader and peer assisted learning leader.

At UC San Diego she participates in the Biological Science Student Association and the UCSD Surf Club. She is also in the BioScholars Honors Organization, a support group for students transitioning to the university.

Lauren has faced loss and challenges but is very determined to succeed and has “learned how to properly cope with difficult emotions and life circumstances as well as critically and introspectively evaluate oneself.” Being passionate about learning has been a consistent theme in her life. She is pursuing a minor in marine sciences in addition to her microbiology major. Her goal is to earn a PhD and become a biology professor and researcher. Lauren is enrolled in Roger Revelle College.