Lauren Bechtel is a senior at Houghton College in Western New York, majoring in International Development & Biology and minoring in Political Science.

At Houghton, Lauren is the co-leader of Eco-Reps, a group that promotes sustainable actions on campus, and is also the Executive Officer of Committees in the Student Government Association. International experiences are what have given Lauren her passion for environmental issues, particularly climate change; these experiences have included semesters abroad in Tanzania and Spain, as well as various academic and personal trips to Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, and Central America. Lauren participated in the People’s Climate March in NYC in September 2014, and is looking forward to going to Paris for the COP21 in December 2015. In her free time, Lauren enjoys hiking, hanging out with friends, and reading Barbara Kingsolver.