As a Santa Clarita native whose family moved to the San Jose area, it was important to Lauren Elscott that she stay near her family in college. When she visited the University of California, Santa Cruz and saw the lush greenery and beautiful surroundings she decided this was the place to be.
Elscott enjoys outdoor activities such as the sailing class she is currently taking. But her favorite part of being at UC Santa Cruz so far is all the friends she has made. She describes her roommates, who she’s collected over the years because of various housing needs, as the people she is closest to.
Now in her senior year Elscott has found ways to combine her various interests and passions. Despite starting out undeclared, she eventually became a legal studies major because of her interest in intellectual property and copyright. Though she is not planning on going to law school in the fall, she is considering it for her future down the road.
Along with her love for the law, Elscott is passionate about music and music production. She started trying to produce music when she was 16. She took History of Electronic Music, a prerequisite for the electronic music minor which focuses on modern music production, and she was inspired to join. “I feel like a lot of people don't know that the minor exists,” says Elscott. “But it's actually a really cool program because you get access to a recording studio on campus.”
Currently she is working with local bands in Santa Cruz as part of one of her classes. The bands come to the on-campus recording studio, then Elscott and her classmates get to mix and produce songs. “That's been really fun, connecting with the community,” she says. Bands she has mixed this quarter include Star Power and Mutt.
Her advice to her Freshman self is to join the electronic music minor sooner. “I was scared about applying because I didn't think I had what it took,” says Elscott. “But I think I could have done it my freshman year, and I would have had more knowledge about the studio being on campus and the classes I could have taken.”
Along with her investment in her minor, Elscott also works as a house manager on campus. “I wanted to find a way to be near music events and arts events,” says Elscott. “I wanted to be at the center of the musical action on campus.” So she joined as an usher in the Fall of 2021. About a year ago she received a promotion, now she helps manage the ushers and the audience facing side of events at a performing arts venue on campus.
Looking back on her years at UC Santa Cruz, Elscott recommends that everyone get as involved on campus, especially in terms of keeping up to date on events. She credits a lot of what she was able to accomplish, her minor or her sailing class, to discovering new things on campus and embracing them.
With only a few months left until graduation, Elscott is preparing to take what she learned at UC Santa Cruz and use it for her future life and career. She plans to take the next year to figure out what her next steps are in life, while staying with her parents for a bit. But she already knows she will miss being at UC Santa Cruz. “The campus is just so beautiful, I think I'm going to miss that the most when I leave.”