Lauren Hall is a 19-year-old nursing major from Shreveport, Louisiana, who is an inspiring poet who uses imaginative words. She also loves the track and field team, for which she received several awards. She received third-place all-conference in Shotput and “GCAC Athlete of the Week” for her 10.51 throw, which led her to lead the conference in shotput. She also contributed to the Dillard University team winning the GCAC Women’s Track and Field Championship.

Being from the city of Shreveport, she grew in love with her art because because, in sports and academics, her art isn’t valued. Her ability to express herself and show her creative style brings light and clarity to her art. 

She fell in love with art in middle school when she saw her sister perform a poem she wrote. With her sister’s passionate drive to easily express her emotions, like pain, Lauren knew she could do the same. After that, she learned to write and perform in her very own courageous relatable style.

With Lauren’s style of writing, she uses her pain into passion. “I put my heart into my work to be seen as authentic and raw.” When she writes, she tries to cater not to herself but to her audience so it can be relatable. To see the finished product is a rewarding experience that brings her peace of mind. 

While trying to expand her writing style, she had an assignment for class, and she wanted to try something different. So, one day, she sat on the Oaks and started to allow her creativity to strive. The poem was called “Halloween.” It discusses how her trouble with relationships connects with her childhood. This inspired her to start writing about more in-depth subjects happening in her life.

The poetry community at Dillard University has influenced Lauren’s love for poetry in more ways than she could have imagined. With the support for one another and seeing other talents showcase their poems, she feels like she has gained another family. Even her professors and classmates have given her respectful critiques and confidence. 

Lauren will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, thriving to become a labor and delivery nurse. After a year of gaining experience in the field, she would go back to school and get a Doctorate as a Nurse Practitioner (DNP). Along the side of building her career, she would be traveling to greaten her chance to learn about other cultures and traditions. Lastly, she will publish a book to show her growth through my art. Each phase of Lauren’s life would be represented through several poems she has written over the years. She will cover topics that others can relate to as well, such as Self-realization, Heartbreak, Inequality, Loss, Love, and Change.

A quote that she lives by is “For with God, nothing shall be impossible” -Luke 1:37

Halloween by Lauren Hall

As a kid I loved trick or treating
Now look at me…
Im her trick but don’t think shits sweet
Because I’m treating myself to her fruit
Rather than the candy that’s being handed to me
going door to door asking
“are you someone who’s actually gonna love me”
or allow me to catch feelings
and then you leave
i express my feelings this way
so you can feel something other than what i make you feel in between
cause i’m the type of person
who doesn’t need a holiday to trick for my queen
but like you said
“this is just a one time thing”
so is it my fault
that i have fallen for all the beauty that i’ve seen
i would give you the world
and everything else in between
but here you are tossing me out like a piece of unwanted candy
saying that what we had “didn’t mean a thing”