Staff Story: Lauren Darden

Lauren chats with Pre-K student Nala during a new student Popsicles on the Playground event in June.

By Nicole Fash, Director of Marketing and Communications

An Atlanta native, Admissions and Enrollment Management Assistant Lauren Darden grew up in a close-knit family, the youngest of three children. Her parents encouraged her and her two older brothers to explore their interests and talents, which ultimately led to Lauren playing soccer from the time she was six years old through high school. “I continue to be grateful to have found something that I loved growing up,” she says. “Playing soccer competitively taught me a lot of life lessons that helped shape the person that I am today. I look back on my childhood very fondly; it was a joyful time.” Education was very important to her family, and Lauren attended Peachtree Presbyterian Preschool, High Point Elementary, and Woodward Academy. Going to an independent school was not in the original educational plan for Lauren and her siblings, but after her brother Dennis, who is five years her senior, went to a local middle school and discovered it was not a good fit, the family chose to enroll him at Woodward.

“Once my parents saw the advantages [of independent school] for my oldest brother, they made the decision to send all of us. And now, I cannot imagine it any other way,” says Lauren. “I loved every minute at Woodward. I felt like I was challenged in the best ways and had teachers who knew me and could meet my needs when I needed additional support. I very quickly found my group of friends who are my best friends to this day. It opened my eyes to so many different opportunities that I may not have had without Woodward. It was also a valuable lesson for me to see the sacrifices my parents made so that we could go to private school.” After graduating from Woodward, Lauren followed in her parents’ footsteps and attended the University of Georgia. From a very young age, she enjoyed working with young children, which led her to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education. In addition to taking part in the usual student-teaching opportunities at local elementary schools in Athens, Lauren participated in the Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching (COST) program and spent a summer studying abroad in Howick, New Zealand.

“New Zealand is known for its education and especially its approach to reading and writing,” she says. “It was really great to see different approaches than what I had learned in Athens. I quickly learned to think on my feet in new situations.” Following her time at UGA, Lauren began her teaching career at High Point Elementary. She describes returning to her elementary school as a teacher a “full-circle moment” and found it to be an incredible experience that allowed her to give back to the community that had so strongly enriched her childhood. During her four years teaching Third Grade at High Point, Lauren was a Grade-Level Team Lead, a two-time “Teacher of the Year” finalist, and a Fulton County Central Learning Community (CLC) “You Rock” award recipient. When a former colleague from High Point who was working at Trinity told her about an open position at the School, Lauren applied that same day. She believes the different experiences she had as a student increased her desire to work at an independent school, and many of her soccer teammates attended Trinity so she was familiar with it. “Initially, I was attracted to Trinity because of the incredible professional development opportunities,” says Lauren. “I was encouraged by the School’s ability and desire to foster a community of lifelong learners, and I was excited to continue doing what I loved while growing my skillset. Also, I was seeking work-life balance, which I found here.”

In the winter of 2018, Lauren leads her Third Graders in a discussion about character traits. In December of 2017, Lauren plays outside with then-Third Graders (now Class of 2021 graduates) Mary Ellen Dunton, Ann Rosengren, and Sibley Winter during an unexpected snowfall.

Fun Facts about Lauren Darden

Favorite type of food: Mexican Favorite band: Dawes

Favorite movie: Shawshank Redemption Favorite TV shows: The West Wing, Newsroom, and Yellowstone

Favorite school subjects: Social Studies and Reading Favorite children’s book: The Amelia Bedelia series

Favorite Flik meal: Quesadillas

Superpower: My superpower is being able to listen to a random snippet of a movie without seeing the screen, and I can usually tell you what movie it is. Words of wisdom for Trinity students: Be kinder than necessary. The world can always use more kindness, and you will never regret being kind to others.

Lauren, Annie, and Tad enjoy time at the beach this past summer. Lauren, who participated in numerous growth opportunities as a teacher, has led professional development sessions at Trinity on reading and writing as well as how to incorporate students’ making inferences, thinking deeper, and explaining their thinking into daily classroom routines. In addition, she has shared her expertise in Flourish magazine. Published under her maiden name of Lauren McClelland, she wrote How to deepen the educational experience for the spring 2018 edition and co-authored Mathematizing children’s literature for deep learning for the fall 2017 edition. In 2019, she applied and was selected as the Third Grade’s Grade-Level Team Leader for the 2019–20 school year, which gave her the opportunity to work closely with members of the Academic Leadership Team, support effective teacher teamwork to meet school and grade-level goals, and grow her skills as a leader. In August 2020, she received a Trinity’s Rollins Quest for Excellence Grant, a handful of which are awarded each year to employees for excellent performance and loyalty of service. After eight years teaching Third Grade, four of which were as a lead teacher at Trinity, Lauren was ready for a new challenge. She wanted to remain in education and at Trinity, if possible, and was excited to accept the position of admissions and enrollment management assistant in the spring of 2020. In this role, Lauren manages the online application portal and helps oversee numerous admission events. She collaborates with Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management Brad Brown and Director of Outplacement Sarah Morgan Bonham to put on four Open Houses each admission season. She celebrates enrollment decisions with new student events, like on-campus playdates, and facilitates Early Learner and Pre-K Meet and Greets and New Student Orientation before school begins each year. In addition, Lauren welcomes families to campus on an individual basis for campus tours and observations. She says this is one of her favorite aspects of her job because she connects with families and applicants and gets to know them and their stories.

“Working in admissions, I have gained a greater understanding and appreciation for the different roles that everyone in the School plays, and it has also been an amazing opportunity for me to engage with a broader group of people in our community,” she says. “I relate to children through humor. In my classroom, while we worked hard, there was always a lot of laughter and fun. Entering a classroom for the first time or walking into an admissions assessment can be nerve-wracking. I try to put children at ease right from the start by showing that I care about who they are and what they are interested in so I can make a connection and go from there.”

One extra-special connection was seeing her niece, Molly, go through the admissions process and become a Trinity Kindergartner in 2021. Diplomatic as always, Lauren says that she did not pressure her brother, Dennis, and his wife, Tessa, to send Molly to Trinity, but after they toured the School, it was the only place they applied. “They really valued the character development, the facilities, and the elementary-only experience that Trinity offers to get to know Molly as a learner so that they can make a more informed decision about schools down the road,” Lauren says. “It has brought me immense joy watching her walk these hallways, grow in her confidence, and develop a true love of learning. As a member of the admissions office, I get to share the possibilities of the Trinity Experience with prospective families, and as an aunt, I have gotten to see all these possibilities come to life with Molly.” Staying at Trinity has been important to Lauren because she loves her work and believes in the School’s mission. And, as she says, “I have lived a lot of life in my time here, and I have always felt loved, supported, and cared for by my Trinity family in every life circumstance. Those are things that you don’t find at every company, and it’s just another example of what makes this place so special.” Over the last few years, Lauren’s colleagues have rallied around her when she lost both of her parents over a twoyear period. In January 2019, when she was making plans for her wedding later that spring, Lauren’s mom, Luanne McClelland, began to go downhill after fighting a 12-year battle against colon cancer. To make sure her mom was at her wedding, Lauren and her then-fiancé, Tad, held a small ceremony on their back porch in February. While her mom ended up being strong enough to attend the big wedding in April, the backyard ceremony is still one of Lauren’s most cherished memories. On July 10, 2019, she and her family surrounded Luanne and said their final goodbyes. “My mom was sick for a long time, and I just always saw a lot of faith and courage and determination,” Lauren says. “The day of her passing was one of the hardest days of my life; however, it was also a moment we were all ready for because she had been in so much pain for so long. When you see someone you love experiencing that much pain, you want them to be free of it. That is how I came to terms with losing her. I have been blessed with family and friends, and now this work community, that carry me through the tough times.” A year-and-a-half after her mom’s passing, Lauren and Tad welcomed their first child, a daughter. Called Annie, she was named Luanne in honor of Lauren’s mom. Lauren calls Annie a “bright light.” “We often say that Annie was handpicked by her Lulu [Lauren’s mom]. She radiates joy and has kept us smiling and laughing since the day she was born,” says Lauren. Annie has also been a source of balance during difficult times, which was especially important in the months to follow as Lauren’s dad, Dennis “Denny” McClelland, had a minor heart attack a few days after Annie’s birth. “My dad, he was never quite the same after losing my mom,” she says. “He and my mom had been together almost 40 years, so he had a hard time adjusting to life without her in it. His greatest source of joy was spending time with his family, especially his granddaughters, Molly, Emma, and Annie. I often pleaded with him to take care of himself because Annie and her cousins needed ‘Guy’ around to love on them and watch them grow.” Tragically, Lauren’s dad passed away about six months later after suffering another heart attack. “It has been really hard to have lost both my parents in my early 30s, but it has strengthened my relationship with my brothers as we have had to lean on one another. It has also strengthened my relationship with Tad and Annie and allowed me to truly reevaluate what is important,” she says. “I really understand that life is short and that family and friends that feel like family are a blessing and not something to take for granted.” From sending notes of encouragement to stopping by to check on her, Lauren’s fellow teachers and staffers made sure she knew she was loved and that she had the space and time she needed to grieve the loss of her parents. “At Trinity, I have always felt deeply cared for and know that I am trusted to get my job done and done well,” Lauren says. “I know that there are some companies where you cannot just get up and leave when something comes up, you feel guilty even though you know there are more important things to tend to, and I have never felt that way here. It is really important when you find that in a workplace. “The hardships I have experienced only strengthened my faith and belief that there is something better beyond this life,” she continues. “And my understanding is that while we may go through hard things, there is purpose in our pain and God has a plan for me. I am not walking this path alone.” Lauren has found contentment in her current phase of life and is enjoying the present while looking forward to the years ahead. “I hope to continue growing our family here in Atlanta,” she says. “While Tad is from Richmond, he considers Atlanta home now, and we really love the life we’ve built together. I hope to continue learning and growing in my admissions role, and I’m excited for what the future holds. My greatest joy in life is watching Annie learn new things and develop her own personality, so I hope to continue soaking up every minute of this precious time.”