Spotlight
Lauren Threet’s Life of Service and Understanding
Humanitarian worker and returned missionary Lauren Threet (’26) spends her life helping others and living to be kinder every day. Determined to dedicate her life to service, Threet looks for opportunities to lift and connect with others in everything she does.
“I really think that if you’re willing to try, then you can succeed,” said Threet. “If you’re willing to get outside of yourself and say hello to someone, if you’re willing to try an assignment, you’ll do better than if you never tried at all. If you never risk failure, you can never achieve success.”
Threet completed a mission in Oaxaca, Mexico, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, where she taught the gospel, served the people, and learned Spanish. After her mission, she moved to Costa Rica to work for the International Languages Program (ILP), teaching English to Spanish and Bribri speakers.
“I believe you’re blessed for your efforts to serve and help other people. I also think it’s just a law of nature that when you do good things, they come back to you,” said Threet. “I saw that on my mission as well as in Costa Rica, and even on my summer sales team.”
“I’m a big supporter of looking for opportunities to connect and lift versus going as far as you can by yourself,” Threet continued. “There’s an age-old quote about how if you want to go fast, then go alone, and if you want to go far, go together.”
Threet’s time in Mexico, Costa Rica, and now at Southern Virginia University has helped her recognize the importance of diversity, differences of opinion and developing her divine connection with Christ. As a student, she has participated in discussions hosted by Braver Angels and taken classes through the Institute of Religion, finding a spiritual refuge on campus.
“Southern Virginia is a place where you have a lot of different opportunities, and you get to interact with a lot of different people,” said Threet. “I want to expand my understanding of the world, connect with other people, hear their stories, and help them. This is a holy place, and it’s a place that accepts who we are and motivates us to be better.”
Threet knows that personal growth is challenging. She has learned that forgiveness is critical to becoming better, and she consistently strives to be more forgiving, kinder, and a better disciple of Christ. Through her experiences, Threet has learned how Christ, through His Atonement, can help her be who she wants to be.
“I’m a disciple of Jesus Christ and someone who cares very deeply about helping other people come to know Him,” said Threet. “As I’ve repented and received His forgiveness, it’s taught me to forgive others and to see them through His eyes. Kindness is very, very important to me, and my goal is to be as kind as I can.”
The youngest of nine children, Threet is from Mesa, Arizona. She enjoys playing piano, watercoloring, running, and hiking. Majoring in political science with a minor in Spanish, she plans to serve internationally and have a family.