Lauren Rhoades
Mississippi Arts Commission
Jackson, MS USA
"It’s okay to take a twisty-turny path to get to the place that you want to be."
Career Roadmap
Lauren's work combines: Art, Non-Profit Organizations, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Political Science, Spanish and Portuguese Language and Culture, English Literature
University of Colorado Boulder
Graduate Degree
Creative Writing
Mississippi University for Women
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado.
2.
After earning my bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder, I moved to Mississippi to serve in an AmeriCorps position.
3.
Through AmeriCorps, I worked for FoodCorps where I spent two years helping elementary school students learn about healthy foods—I then moved up to serve as the statewide team leader.
4.
This piqued my interest in healthy foods, prompting me to start my own fermented foods and beverages company—I began selling to farmer’s markets then expanded to wholesale and restaurants.
5.
I eventually felt burnt out on food, so I closed my business and used the education stipend I received from AmeriCorps to go back to school for a master’s degree in creative writing.
6.
After graduating, I worked as the director of the Eudora Welty House and Garden, where I taught the public about Eudora Welty’s literary legacy, inspiring a love of reading and literature in others.
7.
In 2022, I joined the Mississippi Arts Commission, where I currently lead grants and programs to help support the arts in Mississippi.
