Lauren Heaton​

A 2012 graduate of Oklahoma State University in Strategic Communications with a minor in Marketing, Lauren Heaton is finishing a Master of Business Administration from London Business School and Finance with a focus in Global Marketing Management. 
 
After graduation from OSU, she worked for Advertising Agency Firehouse, in Dallas, TX. In the summer of 2013, I won the title of Miss Rodeo Oklahoma 2014.  The following saw travel across Oklahoma and other states promoting the sport of rodeo, the State of Oklahoma, its legacy, and the western way of life. In December 2014, she competed at the Miss Rodeo America Pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada in conjunction with the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo and become our state's first Miss Rodeo America. The following year Lauren traveled to most of the 50 states as well as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand promoting the United States' western legacy on a national level. She has traveled to 38 countries since first going abroad at age 16 with Janet Jakubek.  After finishing her reign, Lauren moved to Kansas City and worked in strategic marketing for Advertising and Marketing Agency, EAG. 2017 saw a move to London, England where she currently resides and became the Global Marketing Manager at Ed-Tech business, Avado. She is now at another Ed-Tech business, Circus Street, as VP of Global Marketing.

Lauren moves back to the US this fall to continue the US growth plans for my current company. She will be moving to Colorado and hopes to start her own marketing agency someday, focusing on supporting small businesses with their marketing and sales goals.  

Growing up in Alva and graduating from AHS gave her essential experiences that impacted potential life achievements. One was the desire to be part of a community of people that care about each other as much as Alva's community does. It takes a feeling of security and support to take risks, and Alva always provided both. Attending a small school allowed a much wider variety of activities and sports than kids in Oklahoma City or Tulsa schools, which then provided a wider variety of skill sets that translated well onto college and job applications. Lauren believes that growing up on a farm establishes a certain level of work ethic that not found in any other lifestyle. 
 
Alva’s teachers made such an impact on Lauren.  A few include Janet Jakubek for inspiring Lauren’s passion for travel, Judi Shirley for nurturing a love for reading and storytelling, and Ramona Cummings for providing a great outlet to channel her personality, passion for dancing, and love of musicals.