While you often don't get to choose your own path in life, it's ultimately that path that can help sculpt and mold the person you become. IUPUI rising senior Lauren Campbell has been molded greatly by a path that has taken some twists along the way.

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Campbell's family moved to Indiana prior to her entering the fourth grade. The move was difficult as she left behind friends and had to adapt to a whole new life a few states away.  Something changed upon her arrival to the Hoosier State.

"I remember the move like yesterday," Campbell said. "I was a good student, but part of the curriculum for the fourth grade (in Indiana) was Indiana history and I was moved to lower level classes. Not growing up here, I didn't know anything about Indiana history."

However, her fourth grade teacher in the Avon School System, Mrs. Drusilla Pearcy, urged her to seek and pursue a passion.

Enter swimming.

Campbell hadn't spent much time in the water in Pennsylvania, but her parents signed her up for lessons upon moving to Indiana. In fact, she was so new to the pool that she found herself in swim lessons alongside babies and toddlers. Despite her novice status, Campbell had an obvious and innate skill for the sport. So much so, she would join the swim team and begin spending more and more hours in the water.

Pearcy saw the fire as she and her family settled in Avon. A former athlete of her own, Pearcy tends to find common ground with students drawn to athletics.

"When Lauren shared her love for swimming, I encouraged her to follow her dream," Pearcy said. "Every year, I make a point to talk to student-athletes about putting school before their sport. I never felt the need to talk to Lauren about that because she put her studies first."

"She told me to be dedicated to something. She didn't care what, but just wanted all of her students to be dedicated to something," Campbell said. "For me, that was swimming."

By fifth grade, Campbell moved to the high ability program, where she excelled.

In the water, she continued to progress and ultimately became a key member of Avon's high school squad. While college was always the plan following graduation, college swimming was another conversation altogether. In her own words, Campbell was 'nothing special' in high school, but drew a look from former IUPUI assistant coach Stephanie Palmeri.

At her father's urging, Campbell decided to take a college visit to IUPUI. It was her first college visit, preceding trips to Muncie, Bloomington and Lafayette.

"It just felt like home to me. It was a whole new atmosphere and a whole new environment," Campbell said. "Something just felt so right about it.

"My parents wanted me as close to home as possible, but they also saw IUPUI as an up-and-coming university and I didn't necessarily see that until I got on campus. But being downtown, it really spoke to me about the atmosphere and opportunities here."

As she took subsequent visits to Ball State, Indiana and Purdue, she felt those schools didn't measure up to her first college visit.

"I just kept coming back to IUPUI," Campbell said.

The proximity to home, the university's downtown location and the opportunity to swim in a world renowned facility continued to call to Campbell. From there, the decision was easy to join head coach Matt Bos' program.

Her freshman year, she looked up to a senior core that featured future Olympian Alexus Laird and an incredibly strong student-athlete in Natalie Trout. While she didn't make much of a splash in the team standings in either of her first two years, she laid the groundwork for a breakout junior year in 2016-17.

Her most recent season saw shed time off both her 50 and 100 freestyle events and earn three medals at The Summit League Championships. She helped IUPUI clinch a runner-up finish at the league championships, thanks to a silver medal in the 400 free relay to cap the four-day meet.

She credits her breakout to one simple thing – having fun.

"The biggest thing was my mindset – just having fun with (swimming)," Campbell said. "I'm always competitive in anything I do, but that competitiveness was inhibiting my performance. I just had to remember to focus on doing what I love. Finding that love and passion for the sport made the difference.

"Go out and have fun."

"It's very rare at the Division I level we see a student-athlete elevate themselves from a run-of-the-mill athlete to a major contributor to team success," Bos said. "Lauren has been able to do just that.

"It's hard to put into words how Lauren's leadership, drive, dedication, enthusiasm and loyalty have positively impacted, not only her teammates, but myself as her coach."

All the while, Campbell has excelled in the classroom, studying elementary education. She came to IUPUI with a plethora of AP credits, allowing her to move her curriculum ahead a semester. That has opened her schedule, allowing her to serve as a student teacher at Enlace (pronounced in-LAH-say) Academy in Indianapolis. While there, she has had the opportunity to work with special education, ESL and behaviorally challenged students.

Going back to Pearcy's influence more than 10 years prior, Campbell credits her fourth grade teacher as one of the primary reasons she's pursuing education.

"I want to be able to unlock kids' potential," Campbell said. "I've always had an interest in Spanish and the culture has always intrigued me since I started taking Spanish in eighth grade."

Campbell aspires to teach in high poverty/low English speaking areas to continue to tap into kids' potential. Once her senior year of swimming is completed, she intends to head to Costa Rica for an immersive teaching experience.  

In addition to her work with the Enlace Academy, Campbell has also assisted with the on-campus Ronald McDonald House, Wheeler Mission and the Jags Reading Club. She served as the chair of Jaguar Athletic Mentors, helping plan life skills events for the entire student-athlete population. Campbell has also given back to her sport by working with the Irsay Family YMCA, helping initiate their first swim team and later serving as head coach.

"I'm quite certain that whatever Lauren sets her mind to, she will be successful," Pearcy said. "I'm so happy to hear that she is pursuing elementary education."

For her blend of athletic and academic success, coupled with her commitment to the community, Campbell was named the department's recipient of the Michael A. Carroll Scholarship. The award was presented for the first time in 1996 and established in memory of Carroll, founder and longtime president of the Jaguars (formerly Metros) Athletics Club.

"It's an honor," Campbell said. "A lot of people have influenced me and I'm thankful to have had a lot of positive people help me along the way."