Lauren Allen

I am called to places with need. As a young student (I'm talking 3rd grade, here) I always answered "teacher" when asked the cliche, "what do you want to be when you grow up?" And, teach, I did. For five years. Even as I have migrated out of the classroom, I seem to return to a core principle that began my professional career: where there is need, I want to be. So, with an interim year serving students in a quieter capacity as an administrative clerk, I now find myself working for an NGO organization, World Relief, that serves refugee and immigrant populations. Here's a quick run-down of what my career has looked like:In public education, I started small, but was eventually team lead and then elected department head in my 5th year teaching. This election, along with district awards, was the result of continued dedication to meeting the need before me, whether through lesson planning, team-building, student engagement, or super-hero flexibility.As a gifted/talented testing coordinator, I supported others... just more behind the scenes. I served teachers, parents, students, and the district through ensuring an efficient and successful system for the 8,000+ students being screened.As an office coordinator with World Relief, I have learned a new world of need, and I am blessed to greet clients each day, connect them to those who can best serve them, and to provide support to our staff, who are persistently, doggedly, and often creatively meeting the needs of our client base.