GoAbroad

Staff Interview with Lauren Hamilton

Get to know The GREEN Program's staff!

Lauren Hamilton

Lauren Hamilton

Interviewed in 2019Armenia

As the Student Success Coordinator, Lauren works with students accepted to The GREEN Program to find the best program for their education abroad and career goals. From discussing program adventures to diving into funding opportunities, she is there to help students make their education abroad dreams a reality.

Share this interview

What inspired you to work for The GREEN Program?

The GREEN Program provides participants with more than your average study abroad. TGP recognizes that participants want (and need) an experience that will not only help them grow personally, but also academically and professionally. Not only are all TGP programs fully accredited and focus on career enhancement opportunities, but the TGP Team has gone the extra mile to ensure their participants succeed in their personal, academic, and professional goals post-program.

Through The GREEN Alumni Network, participants join a community of more than 3,000 sustainability-focused young professionals, gain access to weekly career updates with job and internship opportunities, continue their TGP travels on exclusive Alumni programs, and much more. All of this is to say that as a recent graduate myself when I first joined TGP, I not only saw the incredible value of the TGP in-program experience, but I was also incredibly impressed with the post-program benefits for participants.

Lauren Hamilton posing in front of a mountain

Enjoying the fresh mountain air. —Rocky Mountain National Park

Describe a typical day at work.

As the Student Success Coordinator, I work directly with all of the accepted TGP participants. I have the opportunity to talk with students and young professionals to learn about their education abroad goals and to discuss everything TGP-related, including daily itineraries of our programs in Iceland, Peru, Japan, and Nepal, leveraging academic credit, resources for financial assistance, and more.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Every day I talk with participants who are passionate about making an impact on their communities, exploring new cultures, and striving to expand their comfort zone. Every day I feel more assured about the future of our planet, as it will be in the hands of these innovative, impact-driven people. These are a few of my (many) favorite things. 

Lauren Hamilton in Thailand

In the Land of Smiles. —Chiang Mai, Thailand

How do you use your education and international background in your current role?

In my undergraduate career, I studied Anthropology with a Sustainability Leadership Minor at Pennsylvania State University. Although I loved my studies at Penn State, the lessons I learned outside of the traditional classroom (such as my education abroad experience in Chiang Mai, Thailand and my 30-day backpacking trip in Wyoming) truly shaped me and my passions. I relate with our participants who are perhaps seeking hands-on opportunities that aren’t available through traditional education, or who are stressed about the lack of direction and purpose in their degree and future career paths. I understand our participants nerves, passions, and obstacles, as I have gone through many of them myself. 


What makes The GREEN Program special?

The GREEN Program provides short-term, accredited programs in Iceland, Peru, Japan, and Nepal. By using the world as our classroom, our model expertly balances sustainability-focused course work, exclusive industry exposure, and bucket-list adventures all within only 8-10 days. We specialize in providing access to leading industry facilities, from Iceland’s largest Geothermal Facility to Fukushima’s Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

What is the mission of TGP and how do you continue to work toward it?

The GREEN Program provides a new model for education abroad driven by a desire to provide purposeful, hands-on industry exposure at a fraction of the time and cost. Creating for students by students, our participants are our greatest inspiration, and we strive to make the program more accessible through university partnerships and funding opportunities, and to innovate through new programs and career enhancement opportunities. 

The GREEN Program staff posing on stairs

TGP Team repping rePurpose, our upcycled merchandise line. —Philadelphia, PA

What do you hope participants take away from your programs?

I hope that students take away a new sense of purpose behind their passions, a skill set to create a positive impact in their communities, and the knowledge that they have a network full of resources to help them reach their career goals. 

What questions do participants often ask you, and how do you typically respond?

Participant questions range from program itineraries, to flight logistics, to funding opportunities, to program outcomes. While we have a comprehensive program package available for each accepted student (which includes information on the former questions), I also have more detailed feedback to provide. For example, if a student has questions about funding, we will discuss the best contacts to touch base with at their university and the best methods to talk funding opportunities, as well as alternative resources utilized by past students. 

Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?

Traveling abroad and experiencing new cultures helps us expand our perspectives and our empathetic abilities by learning from other people's practices and stretching our comfort zones. 

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

To have a meaning travel experience, I believe my interaction with local ecosystems and communities is collaborative rather than intrusive, my dollar will support local economies, and my perspective has been broadened through local traditions and customs.

Provided By:

The GREEN Program
9.63
51 Reviews
Learn More

Recent Interviews

Erla Margret Gunnarsdottir

Erla Margret Gunnarsdottir

Interviewed in 2019

Staff

I've been interested in sustainability and renewable energy since my engineering studies. I used to work in an engineering office, mostly doing calculations and project management, but I realised that I like working with people more than working in front of the computer the whole day. Interacting...

Show Full Interview
Ryshena Providence

Ryshena Providence

Participated in 2018

Alumni

I've always wanted to do a study abroad, but it was extremely tough (scheduling-wise) because I am a Division I athlete and an environmental engineering major. However, after discovering that Drexel has a minor in global engineering, I was able to figure out a schedule in which I could embark on ...

Show Full Interview

Recommended Programs

9.6926 reviews
Iceland: Renewable Energy Innovation & Sustainability

The GREEN Program

The GREEN Program (TGP) educates and empowers future sustainability leaders through innovative models of experiential education, travel, and adve...

9.5511 reviews
Peru: Water Resource Management & Sustainable Practices

The GREEN Program

Looking for sustainable travel experience? Join us in Peru for this 10-day educational program. The country boasts of numerous accolades - home t...

102 reviews
Kathmandu, Nepal: Microgrid Systems for Rural Development

The GREEN Program

Contribute to an ongoing effort in including solar as the main source of alternative energy in Nepal in this 10-day educational program abroad. T...