Lauren Rower is a new freshman and sophomore English teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She attended Palm Beach Community College for her Associates’ degree in arts and went to Florida Atlantic University to receive her Bachelor’s degree in English education. She decided to become a teacher while in college; she originally just wanted an English degree.

“My love for English was deeper than just literature and reading, and I wanted to pass that love on to students,” Rower said. “Because when I was in school I loved my English teachers and I loved my English classes. Why don’t I just spread this love literature and writing?”

As a child, Rower loved the environment and wanted to be an environmental writer. She was interested in having a career like Marjory Stoneman Douglas. While she did not take that path, she still loves the environment.

With her love for English, Rower finds different types of inspiration in many works of literature. However, she found more inspiration in people. She looked up to her tenth grade English teacher when she was a student. She loved to see that teacher’s passion towards not only teaching but literature as a whole. Additionally, Rower’s parents were two of her biggest motivators, giving her their work ethic.

Outside of school, she has a rather interesting pastime: disc golf. She plays with a few other teachers occasionally, but for the most part it is just for fun. She also enjoys other outdoor activities like kayaking.

Rower was a student teacher at MSD during the 2017-18 school year. She loved getting to know all of the students and experiencing the real feel of a classroom. She worked in a ninth grade English classroom with Jaime Lyons.

“Of course, I had an experience unlike anyone else,” Rower said. “But at the same time I think that that helped me grow and just solidified my choice to become a teacher, because not for a second did I say to myself ‘Wow, this is something that I don’t want to do.’”

Rower enjoys being able to work with some of her students from last year. Her plans are to fit her lessons to her students to make sure everyone is included.