Lauren Satterwhite

What made you want to come to Lewis & Clark?

I wanted to come to Lewis & Clark because I wanted a close-knit community far away from home. Lewis & Clark students are ambitious and driven, but also kind and supportive, which was exactly the educational environment I was looking for. I also really enjoyed the more intimate classroom sizes. I never felt like I was just a number, even in the general education classes, which tended to be slightly bigger than my major or minor classes.

What have you been doing since graduation?

After graduation, I was hired as a dance instructor at Lake Oswego Academy of Dance, and as the lead dance instructor at Tippi Toes East Portland; I taught all ages. My choreography was featured in various dance competitions, and one of my dance numbers was awarded “Best Choreography” at Starpower Competitions 2025. Working as a dance instructor really solidified my love for children, which ultimately led me to continuing my education further as a graduate student.

How did Lewis & Clark prepare you for graduate school?

Lewis & Clark’s curriculum prepared me for graduate school. I intend to continue the work I started in my undergraduate thesis at a higher educational level, which would not have been possible without the connections and the resources I had available to me. I thank my professors for all the papers assigned to me during my time as I grew the most with every APA citation I wrote.

What would you say is the most important thing you learned at Lewis & Clark?

One of the most important things I learned at Lewis & Clark was to not be afraid of creating my own path. I am interested in studying the area where dance, psychology, and rhetoric and media studies overlap, which is why in my doctorate program I intend to explore how dance may be used as the primary form of communication in a clinical therapy session.

How do you stay connected to Lewis & Clark as an alum?

I stay connected to Lewis & Clark by keeping in touch with the friends I made through college. I am always pleasantly surprised with how spread out Lewis & Clark students are, and enjoy being able to travel around the country while not being far from another Lewis & Clark alum or student.

What was your favorite class? How did it expand your knowledge?

One of my favorite classes I took at Lewis & Clark was Behavioral Neuroscience with Yueping Zhang. This was the first class that I was able to get a taste of how to set up my own in-person study. This class really influenced my love for psychology, and is one of the reasons why I wanted to pursue a PsyD.

Who was your mentor on campus? Why do you consider this person your mentor?

One of my mentors on campus is Kundai Chirindo from the rhetoric and media department. Although I only took Comparative Rhetoric with him, he is a professor that made a long-lasting impression. He made me reevaluate how rhetoric is studied, and encouraged me to follow my interests as I started to realize that there was a gap in the field specifically with children’s rhetoric. I enjoyed how he questioned me and pushed me to think deeper as I became the best student I could be. We have continued to keep in contact with updates about next steps in my career and the goals I have. He is another reason why I wanted to pursue a PsyD.

How did you choose your overseas program? What did your overseas study add to your L&C experience?

I went on the London humanities overseas program and chose it based on the location. I recommend any Lewis & Clark overseas program as it adds so much to your college experience. I was able to grow close with Lewis & Clark students from different majors
that I would have otherwise never crossed paths with, and I grew close with people from other universities as well. What is unique about the London humanities program is that you are housed and take courses at Queen Mary University, which leaves lots of opportunities to meet other abroad students.

Psychology Dance Rhetoric and Media Studies