Two weeks ago I wrote an article about Irvington Preparatory Academy’s Lauren Pressley, who has been a star athlete for the Ravens and is a now a graduating senior. I used information supplied to me from her basketball coach Jim Sturgeon and from the MaxPreps High School Sports Web site. Laurens’ statistics and endorsements from her teachers and coaches were very impressive. Lauren played small forward and shooting guard for the Lady Ravens’ basketball team and was their captain and MVP. I finally met and talked with Lauren last week. She is even more impressive in person. She’s a lovely young lady with a good head on her shoulders and her feet firmly on the ground. She doesn’t like just sitting around and believes in staying active. In addition to her role as a varsity basketball player, she was also a member of both the volleyball and softball teams and she captained both of these teams. One of the highlights of her playing career was helping her team win the sectionals last year. The Ravens’ win was unexpected and an upset, which made it even sweeter. She was a member of the Indiana North/South High School Softball All Stars. Her side won. An outstanding student and school leader, mathematics is Lauren’s favorite subject. She loves music, particularly country and western. Luke Bryan is her favorite recording artist
Lauren is from the south side. One of three siblings, she has an older brother who attends Indiana University. He is 6’ 4” but was in show choir rather than sports in high school. She also has a younger brother. Lauren started her high school career at Franklin Township High School but after two years she felt that she wasn’t getting what she needed at Franklin, so she transferred to Ivrington Prep — a move she feels was best for her academic and athletic career because of the support she got from the Irvington teaching staff and the strength of the Academy sports program. Dick’s Sporting Goods issued a challenge to the high schools of the U.S. If their athletic programs could raise $5,000 for their student athletes, Dick’s would match the sum. There’s a way that Irvingtonians have of meeting a challenge, so the students and supporters of Irvington Prep held garage and yard sales, had car washes, raked leaves, took donations, and met the $5,000 goal (the only Indiana school to do so). Lauren has more then made her mark at the Academy. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Ravens retire her #15. Lauren has already taken adult responsibility for her life. She works the 6 a.m. shift at the Irvington Marsh. She has earned and saved enough money to become financially independent. She will rent her own apartment and pay her utilities as well as buy her own food when she goes off to college. She bought her own car too. She traveled to Puerto Rico with her best friend’s family this last spring. Ziplining through the rain forest was her favorite memory.
As a graduating senior, Lauren will attend Indiana University-Kokomo in pursuit of a degree in International Business and International Marketing from the Kelly School of Business. Lauren carefully considered several scholarship options but in the end she felt that IU-K offered her the best opportunity both financially and academically. She declined a scholarship from IU-Bloomington because of the $32,000 tuition as opposed to $6,000 at IU-K. She has already earned 24 college credits at Irvington Prep, so she will only have to take twelve credit hours a semester to graduate in four years. She will join the women’s basketball team as a walk-on freshman. What makes it more exciting is the fact that this is the inaugural season for the IU-K women’s basketball team. Each player will receive two matching uniforms and shoes, which will look very impressive on the out-of-state basketball courts. She’ll be a great representative for the Hoosier State.
When I hear older folks whining and complaining about how kids have become just rotten and useless these days, I just think about young adults like Lauren Pressley. We’ve only just begun to hear about Lauren. She is going to accomplish BIG, BIG THINGS!
snicewanger@yahoo.com
