On Tuesday, June 1, 2021, Council Rock South senior Lauren Paulk was recognized for committing to continue her softball career at Kean University.
Lauren Paulk – Kean University (Softball)
Major: Early Childhood Education
Final list of colleges: Kean, Scranton
Reasons for choosing Kean: “Definitely the softball program had a big impact on my decision, but the school also – it’s a perfect location. It’s only an hour away from home, so I’m close to home. It had a great team atmosphere, it was just a nice campus overall, and it has a good education program. It’s just perfect.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in softball at the collegiate level? “I’ve been playing travel softball since I was in seventh grade, and I just always knew I wanted to continue playing it. I can’t go without it.”
Coach John Engelhardt says: “This was my first year at South. I spent my previous five years at Council Rock North, so coming over, I’m looking to build a culture and build a program, I need those seniors to buy in. The first question that I ask my players is – what do you want your legacy to be? Usually, it’s ‘I want to be first team, I want to start varsity.’ What I found out right away about Lauren – her answer was very unique. She said, ‘I want to be sure the freshmen don’t have the same type of experience that I had.’ You can talk, but without action, it’s meaningless. Lauren showed up to every optional practice. She was the first to grab one of those freshmen to say, ‘Hey, is everything okay? Is everything going all right in school?’ It was obvious when I sent out a survey that said – who do you think should get the leadership award, I had already pegged Lauren for that award, but I was interested in what her peers thought of her. It was unanimous. Lauren not only got the coaches’ leadership award but also from her peers, which means a lot.
“We didn’t have the best record on the field, but wins and losses go away. The person you are and legacy you leave is the most important thing. We might not be in the playoffs, but I can promise you the success we have moving forward – what Lauren did this year, how she interacted with our four freshmen as well as with our jayvee program, that will pay huge dividends for our program. I couldn’t ask for a better person to help me instill a new culture here at South. I only got to spend a year with Lauren, but she’s a very special person. Lauren will successful at whatever she does. Don’t ever change, Lauren. Be that fun-loving person that looks to pick somebody else up and just be you. I had an awesome opportunity to coach you this year. I hope that you come back and spend some time around the girls because you’re the type of leader that I want them to look up to and to take from you, so when it’s their turn to lead, they’ll have the skills that you possess. Thank you for everything you did for me personally as well as the program.”
About Lauren:
Favorite food: Chick-fil-A
Favorite TV show: Gray’s Anatomy
Favorite music: Country
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