LAMP Bids Farewell to Program Coordinator Laresa Lund
Thursday, March 10, 2022
For exactly two years, LAMP benefited so much from having recent alumna Laresa Lund (B.A. History and LAMP certificate, 2018) serve as our Program Officer. When long-serving Program Officer Amanda Harper resigned in February 2020, we were stunned: how could there be LAMP without Amanda? But by a happy coincidence, Laresa was in Bloomington and between jobs—she started at LAMP on a temporary basis on March 4, 2020 and worked at LAMP House for all of a week before campus shut and all students were sent home. What a way to start a new position!
Laresa’s creativity, energy, and commitment to the Program kept the lights on at LAMP through the darkest days of the pandemic and into the “new normal” of 2021-2022. She got us on track to communicate better with our alumni/ae, worked tirelessly to raise the Program’s visibility, and made sure that even in May 2020, our graduates had a ceremony to attend (online, of course!) and a yearbook of memories. While simultaneously taking courses for the HESA certificate through the School of Education, she learned at least twenty different systems, connected with colleagues all across the campus, trained half a dozen interns, and even pioneered the baking of our signature cookies.
We couldn’t be more grateful to Laresa for everything she did. We already miss her terribly, but we’re excited to think about seeing her in Chicago soon! THANK YOU, Laresa. You made a big difference and will long be remembered with gratitude and affection.
