Employee of the Month - August 2021
Lauren Dragicevich, University Events Coordinator / Commencement
University Relations & Development
Awarded Thursday, August 19th, 2021 via Zoom Virtual celebration. Lauren was joined by President Jane Close Conoley, University Relations & Development (URD) Vice President Michele Cesca, Associate Vice President of University Relations Christopher Reese, and URD colleagues.
Lauren Dragicevich is CSULB’s Commencement Coordinator. She is responsible for helping plan Commencement for approximately 11,000 students and their guests. Lauren administers the event logistics, requests for proposals, purchasing processes, the timeline of activities, and the Commencement email inbox.
This past year brought on multiple obstacles when planning for the large event. Christopher Reese, Associate Vice President of University Relations, shared, “Lauren joined the team with Commencement up in the air, and stepped into a time where we have had to plan and re-plan Commencement eight different times. All along the process, Lauren has gone above and beyond to support our students and families.”
Even though plans changed due to the pandemic, Lauren remained dedicated to providing excellent service to the graduating students. Reese added, “As we pivoted to the [Angel] Stadium plan, Lauren has stepped up once again to provide exceptional student service to ensure over 25,000 graduates have a chance to celebrate in-person. While it may seem like Lauren has just been doing her job very well; it was never the expectation that you would have to plan eight commencements in a year; and particularly an entirely new version of zero months of planning in nine weeks. She has been a rock for our students and planning teams, and for our campus partners.”
Lauren is involved in various campus activities. Last Fall, she served as a Beach Guide in the First Year Beach Connections program. This upcoming Fall, she will be mentoring graduate students through the Graduate Studies Resource Center. Additionally, in preparation for this Fall, she completed her certification in social and behavioral research to lead focus group interviews as part of a continuation of the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) Campus Climate Survey efforts.
Currently, Lauren is pursuing her master’s in Public Administration at CSULB. She is “soaking up” as many student leadership opportunities as possible through the Lois J. Swanson Leadership Resource Center and the Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership. In her spare time, she is “thrilled to be training as a volunteer docent with the Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum.”