Since Kaneland High School English teacher Lauren Krage was a kid, she wanted to pursue something that would change the world. Something where she could help others and make a difference. As she’s grown older, she went through difficulties but kept a constant goal of making everyone around her feel supported and happy. Through pushing herself to be the best she can be, Krage has gotten to where she is today.
Krage grew up in Carol Stream, Illinois. In her teenage years, she attended West Chicago High School. There she played volleyball all four years, but perhaps most unexpectedly, she was involved in journalism.
While signing up for classes during her junior year, Krage’s counselor brought up the idea of journalism. Krage assumed that the class was entirely different. A class where you sit down and write, instead of the class that it truly is.
“I thought that journalism was literally spending a class period writing in your journal,” Krage said. “I was surprised when I showed up to class. It was not what I expected, but it was amazing.”
Krage began writing for her high school newspaper immediately after being enrolled in the class. By the end of her senior year, she was the sports editor for West Chicago High School’s newspaper.
Once she started the class, Krage started thinking that journalism was actually a fun one, instead of just a way to pass the time. And as soon as she came to this realization, she fell in love with the idea of journalism. When she was given the opportunity, she started writing for the paper and continued with it into college.
“Despite the fact that I had only started the beginning of my career, I thought, yes, this is it,” Krage said.
Krage attended college at Millikin University, where she continued her studies in journalism. During her time at the university, she learned a lot about what she wanted to do.
As she grew older, Krage began to realize that she wasn’t certain that journalism was the thing she wanted to continue with in the future. As Krage entered college, she began piecing things together. She realized that there were aspects of her interests that worked together and could blend into a job that she would enjoy.
“English was her favorite subject,” said Megan Finch, Krage’s best friend since childhood. “When she expressed an interest in journalism and teaching, it totally made sense.”
Krage always found the idea of deadlines and writing very stressful and pressure-filled. For her to sit down and have to write felt all too much.
On account of the stress of deadlines, Krage began to think of what else she could do. She knew what she liked and what she disliked. Krage put those two together to realize what exactly would interest her for the rest of her college career.
“So instead I thought, ‘Why not see if teaching works?’” Krage said. “And it did, so the last three years of college, I was an education major.”
In college, Krage had an English professor, Dr. Metaw, who stood out. The professor allowed Krage to be a substitute for her college classes when she was absent. By doing so, she inspired enough confidence in Krage to push her to continue her pursuit of teaching.
“I was working to become a teacher as well; I felt like she saw something in me,” Krage said.
Krage always did everything that she could to be the best teacher, person and mother she could be. In her early teaching career, she was part of an organization called Teach For America. TFA is a non-profit organization where high-achieving professionals and college graduates teach in underprivileged schools and districts and reduce educational inequity.
These schools that are affiliated with TFA can be found throughout the country. With access to these schools, students throughout the U.S. can get the education they need but couldn’t have gotten access to if it wasn’t for the program.
“As a teacher, the stakes are high,” VP of Business Operations Najee Johnson wrote. “That’s a mindset that’s hard to replicate in other fields, and it uniquely positions anyone who has taught to be a leader in whatever they do.”
While the idea of this organization is a great one, anyone could overwork themselves. And Krage was no different. She began her teaching career working in inner-city Chicago while working 90-100 hours every week.
“I was absolutely working myself to the bone to be as good as I could possibly be,” Krage said.
Krage was extremely passionate about making a difference in as many people’s lives as she could. She thought that through being in this organization, she would be able to do that.
“She was always very responsible,” Finch said. “[She was] always wanting to do the right thing, and [she is] a very hard worker.”
Krage thought that through all of her hard work, she would be able to get out of the place she used to be in. She thought that by proving to herself and others that she could be better or different from what she was, she would be able to escape where she grew up.
“Honestly, for some reason, I just wanted to do something different,” Krage said. “I’ve been working since I was a teenager. My whole thing was to get out of suburbia. I didn’t want to be stuck living the life I used to live.”
As Krage got older, though, she began to realize that living in suburbia was a part of her life. She’s come to realize now that she lives a fantastic life where she grew up in Carol Stream.
Being passionate about something is what Krage has realized made her career whole. If she hadn’t started off so passionate about journalism, she wouldn’t have gotten this far after high school in the English and teaching world.
During Krage’s high school years, she felt persuaded by her peers to feel like being passionate about any aspect of your life was a bad thing that should be frowned upon. During her classes, she would get teased by others for trying too hard or being too passionate about certain things.
“If you’re not passionate about anything, what are you?” Krage said. “All you are is a product of your environment.”
