Lauren Payne is going to be a senior at duPont Manual High School in Louisville, Kentucky this year. She is a very active member in her school; she played basketball for her school her freshman and sophomore year and played for a local team her junior year.

She filmed all the boys’ basketball game and was the vice president of the Pep Club. She is a member of HSTMP (High School Teachers Mentoring Program). She was a member of Big Brothers, Big Sisters and was in the Ethic club and Key Club as Echo.

Her home town is Louisville and her favorite color is red. She has one older sister, Asia Payne, who told her about the Dow Jones Journalism workshop. Asia was in the program a few years ago.

Lauren has two favorite quotes, one from Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” The other author is unknown: “Life is too short to wake up with regrets.” Love the people that treat you right, forget about the ones that don’t, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. No on said it would be easy, just that it would be worth it.

The person that inspired her the most was her freshman basketball coach, Jocelyn Duke, who later became her mentor. She wants to be a sports physical therapist right now but isn’t sure. She wants to find a way to combined her love of sports and writing. She is looking to come to UK after she graduates next year from duPont Manual.

Profile written by Rebecca Ratliff