Lauren received her Master of Social Work degree and Certificate for Violence and Injury Prevention from the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. She individualized her MSW concentration to focus on Advocacy and Empowerment for Survivors of Sexual Exploitation. She has worked alongside survivors of both labor and sex trafficking in India, Minnesota, Illinois, and in St. Louis. She has served in several advocacy capacities, and has done extensive research, training, and teaching on this topic. She currently serves as an Advocate and Community Education Coordinator for Crisis Aid, working with survivors of internet crimes against children and their non-offending family members to provide crisis intervention, emotional support, education, safety planning, and resources in the hopes of preventing further victimization online and potential human trafficking. Her advocacy also includes working with adolescent and adult survivors of sex trafficking and facilitating psychoeducational groups such as Finding Healing after Trauma, Healthy Relationships, and Goal Setting. Additionally, she provides extensive school-based lessons and parent presentations on digital safety, as well as a variety of community outreach and professional trainings. Lauren has been passionate about pursuing anti-exploitation work and serving survivors for the last 19+ years and hopes to continue doing so for the rest of her life.