Lauryn Flores, a Communication M.A. student, distinguished herself academically throughout her graduate studies and was the only M.A. student chosen for the prestigious summer 2021 Rhetoric Society of America workshop on Legal Rhetoric.
Flores has successfully focused her graduate education on a public advocacy theme. As a graduate teaching assistant, she taught Fundamentals of Public Communication for four semesters. She has also been an active member of the Communication Graduate Student Association, where she is currently serving as the president voted by her peers.
“Under her leadership, the organization has become more active in the department and begun holding forums for graduate students,” said Dr. Douglas Fraleigh, professor of communication.
Flores has also served as an ASI Presidential Cabinet Member and a Fresno State Mock Team Trial Coach. Off-campus, she is a Director of Philanthropy for PINC Fresno, a Speech Coach for Best Buddies Fresno and a Committee Co-Chair for the Creek Fire Relief Committee.
Dr. Hillary Jones says, “She is an engaging leader who has soared and carried others aloft with her. The amount of service she has provided to the Fresno community, on top of her other responsibilities, within the past two years are a testament to her dedication to our larger community and to helping others.”
After graduation, Flores plans to join a law school and serve as a trial lawyer and practice law in the Central Valley. She is also interested in combining her legal and communication education to serve as a consultant to attorneys in the region, providing training in applying communication principles to jury selection and trial advocacy.
“As I prepare to complete my master’s degree and move on to law school, I have certainly seen the ways in which our words – our commitment to communication that uplifts and protects, create a more beautiful world for the people around us,” says Flores. “I am confident that the education I have received in the College of Arts and Humanities will serve me well as I commit my life to doing just that.”
The College of Arts and Humanities at Fresno State 