Photo courtesy of David Beckham Photography
Students at Pickerington High School North know senior Lauren Conley for her commitment to the schools and its golf team, but they might know her even better for her commitment to a lost friend.
This year, Conley, one of the top 10 students in her class, is student body vice president at North and president of the school’s chapter of National Honor Society. She’s also co-president of the school’s chapter of Drug Free Clubs of America and is a member of Team Physics, Panther Pack and Sunny Side Up.
In addition, Conley is captain of the school’s golf team and, this fall, was given the title of Most Valuable Player. It was last school year, though, when Conley helped organize memorial efforts for a fellow student.
Courtesy of Ann Conley
Lauryn Oliphant, one of Conley’s close friends, passed away in May 2016 after a hard-fought battle with leukemia. Oliphant, who Conley called “Lu,” was also a part of the North golf team.
Conley says her close group of friends called themselves “Ohana” in a group text. Their use of the Hawaiian word for “family” was inspired by its prominence in the 2002 Disney film Lilo and Stitch, in which it was part of a memorable quote: “‘Ohana’ means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.”
“It seemed cheesy at first, but ‘Ohana’ has come to mean a lot to us,” Conley says. “We all have bracelets that say ‘Ohana’ and keychains that say the same.”
Conley keeps the three same marks of Oliphant with her every time she takes to the course.
“I knew I wanted to do something incredible this season in honor of her, and this season did not fall short of that goal,” Conley says. “Every time I stepped on the course, I had three things: an orange tee in my hat that reads ‘LuStrong,’ an orange ribbon on my hat and the ball mark Lu used before she passed.”
Conley and several of Oliphant’s other friends – working with Principal Mark Ulbrich, guidance counselors and Oliphant’s pastor – helped arrange a memorial service that celebrated Oliphant’s life. All the members of Ohana spoke during the service amid music and other remembrances.
“It was a beautiful night that truly captured her radiant spirit and wonderful being,” says Conley.
After being named Second Team and Third Team All OCC in previous years, this past season, Conley achieved First Team. Though she initially expected the district championships to be the final match of her high school career, a score of 79 there and a victory in a tiebreaker hole, Conley made it to the state tournament, where she placed 12th overall – and, by making it to the state level, accomplished a goal she and Oliphant set for themselves in eighth grade.
Photo courtesy of Ann Conley
Conley’s contributions on the golf course extend beyond her efforts to boost the ranking of the Panthers team. This past summer, she volunteered for the First Tee of Central Ohio, which she describes as “an incredible opportunity to help the kids of my community,” she says.
The First Tee is a national program dedicated to teaching young people not only how to play golf, but about how the game can help build character and positive values. Efforts are made to provide opportunities to children whose families do not have the means and resources to help them pursue the sport through financial assistance and equipment.
“I was involved in the nine-week summer program for the central Ohio chapter. Each week is focused on one of the program’s nine core values: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment,” Conley says. “This shows the kids golf is more than a game of skill; it is a game of ethics and personal values.”
Though Conley has yet to decide where she wants to attend college – she’s looking at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Vanderbilt University, Purdue University and Ohio Northern University – she knows what she wants to do when she gets there and, to some extent, what she wants to do when she’s done.
“I plan to major in civil engineering and, in my future, I hope to be working on structure design and development,” she says.
Conley lives in Pickerington with her parents, Mike and Ann. Her older sister, Megan, graduated from North in 2011.
Paige Brown is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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