My name is Lauren Dost, I’m an International Studies major at Virginia Military Institute. I was born and raised in Lorton, Virginia, which is located about twenty minutes south of Washington D.C. I have four older brothers and a three year old niece. My oldest brother, Mitchell, is 31 and lives in Michigan. My second oldest brother, Matthew, is 30 and lives in South Carolina with his wife Magan and daughter Caroline. My third oldest brother, Adam, lives in Lorton with my five year old niece Emma. My fourth oldest brother, Kyle lives in Florida and is studying to get his master’s degree at the University of Florida. My dad grew up in Michigan and got his doctorate from the University of Michigan and has been practicing dentistry for over 35 years now. My mom also grew up in Michigan and is a professional porcelain artist.

I love to play sports. I’m not a big fan of watching sports or supporting any professional teams but I love to have the opportunity to get involved with a game and play outside. Other than that I typically spend my free time volunteering around the community. I’ve run several food drives, collected money for veterans around my community to help them and their families, and gone to local homeless shelter to bring food and other items to people who aren’t as fortunate.

The reason I chose International Studies as a major was because most of the topics are either based on current events or history, meaning there will always more to learn about. This major will also help me as I plan to commission into the United States Army.