This week's Alumni Spotlight features one Auburn's more recent graduates – Lauren Diaz! The Horsemanship rider helped Auburn secure three national titles (2016, 2018, 2019) and two Southeastern Conference championships (2016, 2019).
Diaz was the 2019 SEC Horsemanship Rider of the Year and earned First Team All-America recognition that season as a senior. She was a three-time NCEA All-Academic first team honoree and finished her time on the Plains with 41 career wins. That total at the time was a program record.
Years competed: 2015-2019
Major: Political Science
What are you currently pursuing?: "I am currently in law school at the Ohio State University with a focus on corporate and transactional law."
Why did you choose this career path?: "I chose a career path in business law because I find the way corporate entities work within the economy interesting and exciting and I want to make a lot of money."
How did Auburn prepare you to be successful away from the Plains?: "Some of the most valuable life lessons that I learned from my time on the Plains have been that of discipline and responsibility. At Auburn, you are held to an incredibly high standard academically, athletically and in the community. The team's dynamic is founded on hard work as well as accountability and continuing to hold myself to these standards has allowed me to adapt to adversity and excel at anything I set my mind to."
What does Auburn Family mean to you?: "I think being part of the Auburn Family means living by its values. It's an unconditional sense of support and spirit that sticks with you no matter where you go...it means believing in Auburn and loving it."
Favorite moment or memory from your time on the team?: "It is difficult to choose a favorite memory with a team like Auburn, but some moments mean more than others. As a freshman, Griffin Knight was one of my biggest role models on the team. She took me under her wing and pushed me to not only be the best athlete, but teammate and leader as well. At the time, I thought that breaking her record for all-time career wins would be my favorite team memory, but it meant far more to me that two of my closest friends, Deanna Green and Taylor Searles, broke my own record together after I graduated. I was grateful to be a part of their journey and everything came full circle for me in (hopefully) being somewhat of a Griffin for them. That's what makes Auburn so special."