“Growing up in St. Louis, I knew that Washington University was one of the nation’s finest universities,” says Lauren Ortwein, Business Class of ’13. “I applied early decision, and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
The first in her family to attend college, Ortwein received several scholarships, including the Chod Family Scholarship, Executive MBA Class 29 Scholarship and Enterprise Holdings Scholarship.
“My scholarships have been a tremendous help,” she says. “I don’t have the added stress of finding ways to pay for my education.”
Ortwein is majoring in marketing, and she participates in the Student Alumni Ambassador Program and the Student Admissions Committee. In addition, she has taken film production classes, which helped cultivate her interest in film.
“I worked with marketing budgets and acted as a liaison between vendors, Lionsgate’s distribution center, and the Santa Monica, Calif., office.” —Lauren Ortwein
“I am receiving a top-notch education here,” she says, “as well as exposure to many career discovery opportunities, such as the Alumni Career Externship Program, where I shadowed the CEO of Lionsgate Entertainment, Jon Feltheimer.”
Her externship with Feltheimer during spring break 2011 led to an internship in the marketing department of Lionsgate this past summer.
“I worked with marketing budgets and acted as a liaison between vendors, Lionsgate’s distribution center, and the Santa Monica, Calif., office,” she says.
After completing her internship, Ortwein worked at Coolfire Originals, a film production studio in St. Louis.
These internships and her Washington University education are paving the way for her chosen career path.
“I’m ultimately trying to find a way to use my marketing and business strategy skills in some creative field — ideally in entertainment,” she says.