About lauren bacon

EDUCATION

Lauren Bacon is a UC Santa Barbara class of 2024 graduate who received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She also received a Minor in Professional Writing with a focus on Business Communications as well as a Minor in History with a focus on Poverty, Inequality, and Social Justice.

Lauren has received the highest level of academic achievement, graduated with Honors Distinction in the College of Letters and Sciences, and completed the Sociology Honors Program which allowed her to conduct her own undergraduate research thesis (see Portfolio).

WORK EXPERIENCE

Lauren Bacon is a very hard worker who is dedicated to providing high quality and timely deliverables. Lauren also aims to center her work around supporting her community and works very well in team environments.

Since 2022, Lauren has worked for the Basic Needs Center on campus as a peer advisor. In this role, she helps students apply for government benefits such as CalFresh and MediCal; additionally, she helps educate students on campus resources and organizes outreach events to promote food security.

Lauren has also worked as a legal assistant and administrative worker since 2020 for Utah Juvenile Defense Attorneys and Red Rocks Law Firm. Through this role she has gained paralegal experience, organized state-wide expungement clinics, and helped with court calendars and billings.

VOLUNTEER HISTORY

During her time at UCSB, Lauren volunteered with many on campus and off campus organizations in an effort to contribute to her community and gain experience with efforts related to social work.

Starting in 2023, she became a mentor with CADA, the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. As a mentor, Lauren meets weekly with a fifth grade student who has been referred to the program due to familial troubles. Throughout these weekly meetings, Lauren provides emotional and educational support to the student and assists the family in connecting with community resources such as LEAP.

From 2021 to 2023, Lauren was also the volunteer coordinator for the Mustard Seed Project. In this role, she lead monthly community outreach events centered around providing people facing homelessness with food and community resource guides. During this time, she also organized seminars for students centered on decreasing the stigma around homelessness and provided guidance to other organization members.

RESUME

Portfolio

Lauren Bacon’s Capstone Project for History Minor

Lauren Bacon initiated this project while serving as a Basic Needs Peer Advisor. Recognizing that the University's health insurance plan would become more expensive in the upcoming school year, she aimed to create an informative guide to help students navigate their insurance options. This project highlights Lauren's proactive approach to community issues and her proficiency in researching specific topics and effectively conveying information.

The pamphlet covers the essentials of health insurance, details about MediCal and UCSHIP, and application guidelines. It also provides additional resources available at UCSB to assist students in making informed decisions. This pamphlet has been distributed throughout the UCSB campus and is a valuable reference tool for students. Its primary objective is to bridge the education gap that young adults face regarding health insurance literacy.

Lauren Bacon’s Training Module on Health Insurance and the MediCal Application

As a Basic Needs Peer Advisor, Lauren Bacon developed and presented this training module. Lauren researched on and created this presentation to better equip her fellow Peer Advisors with the knowledge needed to assist individuals with health insurance questions. Recognizing the limited training available on this topic, Lauren designed this module to complement the aforementioned pamphlet, enhancing students' comprehension of health insurance.

The presentation covers how to help students apply for MediCal, outlines eligibility criteria, explains case management procedures, and provides an overview of UCSHIP and Covered California. For this project, Lauren dedicated numerous hours to researching health insurance policies and consulting with community resources to gain insights from their experiences in assisting individuals with government program applications. This demonstrates Lauren's ability to gather information innovatively and collaboratively, as well as her aptitude for teaching and leading teams effectively.

Lauren Bacon’s Undergraduate Research Thesis for the Sociology Honors Program

In her final year at UCSB, Lauren Bacon was admitted into the Sociology Department's Honors Program, where she undertook a comprehensive research project and authored a thesis. For this endeavor, Lauren formulated a research question, created an interview guide, recruited participants, secured funding through the UCSB URCA Grant, and gained valuable experience in data analysis and coding. She conducted extensive scholarly research on her topic and composed the report presented above. Her project focused on exploring how UCSB undergraduates navigate and exhibit their levels of legal consciousness during encounters with the police related to alcohol or drug use.

This writing sample and research project showcase Lauren's ability to develop and pursue research questions and her proficiency in academic writing. Additionally, it highlights her skill in coding and analyzing qualitative data, a competency she honed while serving as a research assistant for Dr. Terrell Winder at UCSB.

Lauren Bacon’s Summary Thesis Poster for URCA Research Grant Presentation

For her undergraduate research project, Lauren Bacon was awarded the UCSB URCA Grant and showcased her poster at the URCA Week Poster Colloquium. To secure this funding, Lauren submitted a detailed budget and project plan, along with obtaining faculty approval for her research topic. The poster she presented encapsulates her research topic, methodology, findings, and the relevance of her work in a clear and visually appealing format.

This project highlights Lauren's graphic design skills and her proficiency with design tools like Canva. Her successful grant application and budget management demonstrate her capability in securing funding and overseeing financial aspects of research projects. Moving forward, Lauren intends to leverage these skills to manage projects effectively and create concise, visually accessible summaries of her work.

Lauren Bacon’s Research Participant Recruitment Flyer for Undergraduate Thesis

For her undergraduate research project, Lauren Bacon conducted paid interviews with seven UCSB undergraduate students. She designed the flyer above to recruit participants and distributed it both virtually and in person to effectively reach her target audience.

This flyer demonstrates Lauren’s proficiency in creating recruitment materials, organizing interviews, managing numerous responses, and conducting a professional research recruitment process. Her efforts highlight her capability to balance multiple tasks and maintain a high standard of professionalism throughout the research project.

Image of Lauren Bacon

Image of Lauren Bacon

Image of Lauren and her cast mates for the musical Cabaret

Image of Lauren’s dog

Image of Lauren with the CADA Mentor Mentee Program