Lauren Thurmond graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in elementary education. Her passion stems from relating to students who have felt marginalized from the norm due to the norms of society. Lauren’s curriculum is centered around understanding one’s own identity in order to better understand how you can contribute to our community. In 2016, she received a Fulbright scholarship to Greece where she immersed herself in the Greek culture to better understand the challenges students from other countries face in school. Upon her completion, she accepted a fourth grade position at Echo Horizon, where she taught for three years.

Now at Sequoyah, Lauren enjoys using art and imagination to spark curiosity within her students and takes time to learn about their passions. In her spare time, she enjoys going to Disneyland, yoga, traveling around the world, and drinking her special frappuccino at Starbucks! She believes in building strong relationships within the community and believes this new generation has the power to make a positive change in the world!