Laura Jay, AU Senior

It’s a great feeling to know you are in a place where you belong. Senior Laura Jay knows she’s found her place in many ways since coming to AU four years ago. When she began her college career, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. But over the years she has found different niches that seem designed just for her. After taking a Career Development course her freshman year, she found she was best suited for a job working directly with people, possibly in public service. Though skeptical at first, she decided to give it a shot and enrolled in some psychology courses. “I actually loved it,” she remarked. The psychology department has become a kind of home for her, and she’s discovered her calling in the area of counseling. “Every professor in the department, I feel like I’m comfortable talking with and asking questions,” she said. They have helped develop her interest in the study of the human mind and supported her learning in a variety of ways, through recommendations, research instruction, and graduate school advice. Jay plans to attend the University of Indianapolis to earn her Masters in Counseling.

Her interest in counseling came as a response to her own positive experience with AU’s Counseling Services. “I learned so much about myself and found new hope in things I hadn’t been able to grasp before,” she said, “I want to help people in a similar way.” Her studies in psychology and outgoing personality gave her the opportunity to venture out and experience counseling first hand. She offered her time and support to several agencies where she was able to work directly with people and help them with their needs. She volunteered for a time at the Crisis Pregnancy Center. Her Spanish minor also prepared her to serve in an after-school program for Hispanic children. Her most memorable experience was at a summer camp, where she ran a body image workshop for young girls. Initially, she had come to the camp as an assistant to the director of the workshop. But when the leader experienced a family crisis and had to leave, Jay took over planning and presenting the activities each day. “It was the best experience. I loved it. They were so open and I learned so much,” she said. Because of that experience, she hopes to work specifically with young women who struggle with body image issues when she begins counseling professionally.

Jay has clearly found her niche occupationally. But her main focus has always been her family. She grew up in Plainfield, Indiana, northwest of Indianapolis, where her family still resides. Her mother works with a Cystic Fibrosis foundation, and her father serves as a research administrator for Eli Lilly. Her older sister is continuing her education in law school currently. She is very close with her family, and they have supported her throughout her college career. “Family is everything to me. I learn that more everyday,” she said. She also stayed with the same group of friends from first grade all the way through graduation. Jay has found a place for herself wherever she has gone, whether in Anderson or Plainfield or a summer camp. Wherever she goes, she will meet the challenges that face her. And that’s something that excites her. As she prepares to head out into her career as a counselor, she notes the difficulty of her job. “It’s a challenging job, and I love that challenge,” she said. For Jay, learning and growing, rising to the occasion, and finding where she fits in will continue to be great challenges in her life—and she’s looking forward to what lies ahead.