Senior Portrait: Lauren Gregory

Once upon a time, Lauren Gregory had to work really hard in school.

She hasn’t stopped.

“In middle school I had a lot of problems in math. I was tutored for a couple years in math," she said. "Freshman year I got straight A’s my whole year. I didn’t know anything about valedictorian until the end of my sophomore year, when somebody told me I was ranked No. 1.”

When 164 seniors accept their diploma’s Thursday night at the school’s auditorium, the Havre de Grace High School valedictorian will be there ranked No. 1. Still.

Her 4.073 isn’t even that much of a shock to classmates.

“A lot of them know I’m studious so they’re not overly surprised,” she said. “They don’t act as if they don’t like me for it whereas others might be upset.”

Gregory also works at the Havre de Grace High School store. She is the president of both the National Honor Society and the French National Honor Society. Gregory is a member of S.A.D.D., S.M.I.L.E.S., student government, and band, where she plays clarinet.

The key for Gregory is keeping it all organized.

“Time management,” she said. “You have so many final projects. You have to fill out scholarships, and make sure you apply for transcripts for enough days to get them to you. You have 10 business days to get that. Senior year you still want to have fun. You have to manage time with fun with friends with studying.”

Gregory is Towson-bound, where she’ll study psychology.

She has plans on working at the Towson school store.

Gregory sounds a bit nervous about college as she talks about it.

Rightfully so, the mechanisms she’s built around her in Havre de Grace have led her to wonderful places. Now she has to take advantage.

Her roommate is built-in: fellow Havre de Grace Class of ’11 grad Kelsie Adams. Its relationships like those that Gregory will miss most about the city.

 “I think I’m going to miss a lot of my friendships. Because it’s such a small community, everyone is so close. When I’m going to Towson, I don’t know anyone, it’s a bigger area.”