This Profile was written by Lauren Gaines and Originally Published by The Newcomb Institute Magazine here.
Program Manager, Student Leadership & Engagement, Newcomb Institute
Career Coach, The Muse
English B.A. ’15, M.A. '16
She/Her
To play an integral role in the personal or professional development of young adults is both taxing and fulfilling work. Lauren Wethers, the Program Manager for Student Leadership and Engagement at Newcomb Institute, sees this work as a privilege. In her role at Newcomb and as a Career Coach at The Muse, a national professional advancement service, she finds joy in seeing students slowly build an individualized toolkit of skills and experiences for their success.
“With my students, the best reward is watching them grow into their power and strength as leaders over the course of four years, along with the ‘lightbulb’ moments when you can see that they’ve figured out how to apply a key concept to their own lives,” expressed Wethers. “As a coach, I love being able to connect with people all over the country and coach them through pivotal moments in their careers.”
Wethers knew she was headed towards a career in student affairs when her courses and extracurricular involvements during her undergraduate years began to take up equal amounts of her time.
“The biggest driving factor behind making it my career, though, was the opportunity to be a role model and resource for underrepresented students,” reflected Wethers. “I definitely believe that my experience as an undergraduate at Tulane gives me a unique perspective as a professional here, as well as heightened empathy and awareness for the issues Black students face especially. I once was that student searching for someone who understood me in a new place, and I know I can be that person for current students as a professional.”
Wethers first got involved with Newcomb Institute as a freshman at Tulane, when she resided in Josephine Louise House. She was an active member of the Alpha Lambda Delta and Mortar Board honor societies.
“Although the Spark and CURRENT residential learning communities did not yet exist in Josephine Louise when I was an undergraduate, some of my fondest memories are in that residence hall-from practicing K-pop dances in front of a laptop to learning how to poorly walk in heels, [Josephine Louise] was where I formed silly memories and lifelong bonds with friends,” explained Wethers.
Outside of her professional development roles, Wethers co-hosts a literary podcast called Reclaiming Jane with fellow Tulane alum Emily Davis-Hale. She also serves as the Co-Captain of The 504th, a local running crew in New Orleans, and as Board Secretary for Youth Run NOLA, a sports-based youth development nonprofit organization.
“All of my involvement, both professional and volunteer, is geared towards building community, and I center that goal regardless of whether I’m leading a workshop or producing a podcast episode,” said Wethers.
In the next decade, Wethers hopes to be self-employed, dividing her time evenly between coaching and creative pursuits such as writing and podcasting.