Lauryn Smith Email & Phone Number

Buffalo Grove, Il, Us

Northbrook, Illinois, United States

As Communications Coordinator, I oversee all internal and external communications for the organization—including social media, mass emails, newsletters and content creation for Keshet's website—with a keen eye to disability and accessibility. In this role, I help Keshet’s community be in the know of day-to-day operations and events, maintain donor relations, and ensure programs showcase Keshet’s mission. I collaborate with our Chief Communications Officer and the rest of the leadership team to develop innovative marketing plans for all programs. I also implemented Keshet’s new Digital Asset Management (DAM) system for uploading, managing and organizing photos across the organization.

Lake Zurich, Illinois, United States

I supervised a group of over 40 8th-10th graders in a leadership-intensive training program. I observed each CIT in their placements with either a camp group or a specialty throughout the summer. I met with each CIT biweekly to help them reflect on their experiences and set goals. Each week, I created and facilitated training sessions where CITs learned skills related to leadership, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. It was tremendous to see their growth throughout the summer and serve as a mentor to them.

Northbrook, Illinois, United States

My internship at Keshet gave me a hands-on experience in the world of marketing, content writing and development. I managed Keshet's social media accounts, wrote biweekly articles for Keshet's website, and assisted with designing their monthly newsletter. These projects help paint a larger picture of the wide variety of work the organization does each day and also help keeps participants, donors, and Keshet's community more connected. I was also given the opportunity to learn more about disability awareness and accessibility within the media. I assisted with a variety of fundraising, communication, and organizational tasks for Keshet as needed.

I helped manage an online book club Instagram with over 20,000 followers. I facilitated posts for the account and communicated with the social media team of each reading subgroup, ensuring that all graphics, stories, and reels are uploaded in a timely manner. I created a more organized fashion for sending in and uploading posts, which in turn increased engagement and therefore attendance at book club meetings. I also assisted the CEO with designing graphics for a variety of book club events.

Champaign, Illinois, United States

In the fall of 2021 I enrolled in CW 460, serving as an editorial assistant for the web edition of the Ninth Letter Literary Journal at UIUC. My fellow students and I sifted through over 1,000 pieces of prose and poetry to bring to the editorial table each week. We discussed the best pieces and ultimately voted on whether to publish them. The following winter our journal was published to countless readers nationwide. This course gave me a hands-on experience in literary publishing and I enjoyed every second of it.

Champaign, Illinois, United States

I helped found the new Women's Network chapter on the UIUC campus. I designed and curated our community's blog through Wordpress.com, which served as a hub for our chapter's communication and weekly blog posts on topics specifically targeted to collegiate women. In this role, I also oversaw a team of five blog writers, who were responsible for coming up with original blog posts on a biweekly basis. I assisted them with brainstorming new content, edited their pieces, and served as a mentor to help them grow as writers.

After a little over a year as a creator, I took on the responsibility of serving as the community representative for the Odyssey community at UIUC. As a community rep, I helped co-manage the team of over thirty creators, helping to recruit and train new members and retain our current membership. In this role, our team grew about 200%. I was responsible for ensuring that team deadlines are met as well as supported our creators through editing, creative workshops, and frequent communication. I was also tasked with communicating to Odyssey headquarters and marketing the team through social media and campus events.

As a creator, I composed weekly, creatively written articles on a variety of topics including lifestyle, pop culture, mental health and more. My articles consistently reached an audience of thousands of views, with selected articles being posted on the website's homepage and garnishing a viewership of over 100,000.

Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Area

As house manager, I was responsible for facility management of 80 live-in members of the sorority house. I facilitated biannual room picks, move in/out procedures, as well as all daily operations within the house. I effectively communicated with the live-in chapter members, housing director, private certified housing, and Sigma Delta Tau national headquarters regarding any concerns or updates. As a member of the general executive board, I assisted other positions when necessary and served as a role model to the chapter. I also had a pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to brainstorm, adapt and enforce new policies and procedures.

Northbrook And Lake Zurich, Illinois

For four summers, I led a group of 12-16 first grade girls alongside a co-counselor. My biggest priority in this role was ensuring the physical and emotional safety and well-being of my campers. I participated with my campers in a variety of activities around camp and collaborated with my co to ensure equal share of the workload. I often worked with the camp social worker and leadership team to discuss and implement behavior management strategies for campers. As a returning counselor and former camper for several summers, I also mentored counselors-in-training and younger staff.In addition, I gained more experience as I assisted the director prior to each summer to help prepare camp rosters and schedules, coordinate bussing, inventory supplies, and other administrative activities as necessary. I toured new families before camp to help easy the transition into the summer. I also helped design the camp calendar and organized the new Apachi App utilized for important dates and announcements throughout the summer.

Buffalo Grove, Il

As founder and CEO of Lauryn Taylor Designs, I created custom-made, hand-drawn accessories for various college, camps, and personal events sold to clients! My products included: shoes, pillows, wooden letters, and canvases. I additionally partnered with redbubble.com to expand merchandise to a larger audience. I gained social media and communication skills as I marketed page across several social media platforms. Additionally, I promoted my products at local charity and holiday events within the community. Feel free to check out @lauryntaylordesigns on Instagram to view my creations while I ran this self-employed business.

Bachelor Of Arts - Ba, Creative Writing

Activities and Societies: James Scholars Honors Program, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta KappaGPA: 3.97/4.00

Bachelor Of Science - Bs, Developmental Psychology

Activities and Societies: James Scholars Honors Program, Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta KappaGPA: 3.97/4.00

High School Diploma

Activities and Societies: Gold Honor Roll, National Honor Society, Best Buddies, Student Council, Class Board