First-Year Fellow Mentor: Lauren Kennedy '02

The First-Year Fellows program is a unique opportunity for first-year students to engage meaningfully in public policy early in their Dartmouth careers. Each year, around 20 students are selected and placed in fellowships with Dartmouth alumni in Washington, D.C., who are willing to take on a significant mentoring role.

"Through the Rockefeller Center's First-Year Fellows program, I have had the privilege of mentoring Dartmouth students who are excited about public policy and eager to become engaged in the work that occurs in our nation's capital. Fellows arrive exceptionally well-prepared to contribute from day one. They are quick learners who ask smart questions, offer sharp insights, and consistently demonstrate a level of professionalism that exceeds expectations. These qualities make it easy for me to agree to mentor Fellows year after year and to gladly serve as a resource for them both during and after the Fellowship." --Lauren Kennedy '02, U.S. Department of Education

Lauren M. Kennedy works at the U.S. Department of Education, where she specializes in postsecondary education policy and programs and serves as an advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs. Since joining the Department as a Presidential Management Fellow, Lauren has also held positions in the Offices of the Under Secretary and Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.  Previous work experience includes Lubin Lawrence Inc. (strategy consultants), the American Association of University Women, the Government Accountability Office, and the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Education and the Workforce.  Lauren holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Dartmouth College and a master of public policy from Georgetown University.

While enrolled at Dartmouth, Lauren wrote an honors thesis on single-sex education, worked as a research assistant for various faculty members, and participated in the Government Department's off-campus programs at the London School of Economics and in Washington, DC.  At the Rockefeller Center, Lauren led the Women in Politics student group and was a member of the inaugural class of Rockefeller Leadership Fellows.

Lauren Kennedy has mentored the following First-Year Fellows:

  • Anthony John Marquez '18
  • Ke Zhao '17
  • Chelsea Lim '16
  • Brendan Goldrick '15
  • Gardiner Kreglow '14
  • Jacob Hickson '13
  • Ariel Murphy '12
  • Brian Freeman '11