Ms. Lauren Reese: Returning to Her Roots at Langston University

Walking into the C-Store to grab my favorite snack, I noticed how sweet and friendly the cashier was. She always greeted me with compliments and asked how my day was in a soothing voice. Whenever I left, she’d say, “Okay, baby, see you next time,” sending me off with a smile and reminding me how family-oriented Langston truly is.

After a few visits, my curiosity got the best of me. I asked her if she’d be open to an interview, and she graciously agreed. A few days later, I returned, pulled up a chair right next to the cashier counter, and began our conversation as she worked ringing up students, handing out snacks, and sharing pieces of her story between friendly greetings.

Her name is Ms. Lauren Reese, originally from Kansas City, Missouri. Students affectionately call her Mama, Auntie,or Grandma. At 66 years old, she returned to Langston University in 2023, back to the place where her story began.

For Ms. Reese, returning to Langston University feels like returning to her roots. Years ago, she walked these same halls as an undergraduate, first chasing a dream of becoming a nurse before finding her passion in public health. Before coming to Langston, her cousin Kenneth Ellison encouraged her to apply, telling her it was “a good school.” With the help of her grandkids, who are most motivating her to go back to school. She started her freshman year in 2011 and graduated in 2016.

When Ms. Lauren looks back on her undergraduate years, one professor stands out. “She was such a good instructor,” Ms. Lauren recalls. “She could tell when things were getting to me. It was just too much at the time.” One day, that professor called her in for a heart-to-heart. “She said, ‘Ms. Lauren, why don’t you change your major to your minor?” Ms. Lauren smiles as she remembers. “My minor was public health, so we talked about it, and I decided to make the change.” That conversation became a turning point in her college journey. “I really loved the public health part. It was a good decision for me.” After graduating, Ms. Lauren moved to Georgia and later to Texas, where she worked as a city bus driver . She didn’t get to explore her career path there.

 Her journey back to Langston began with family. A proud mother of three daughters, Janine (Red), Lauren, Mechael, and one son, William (JB), she was living in Seattle when her two daughters both went off to college. Lauren attended Talladega College, while Janine chose Langston University. Laruen later transferred to Langston, and Janine later became a mother herself. When Janine received family housing at Langston, new challenges arose, like the daycare being full. While Ms. Reese was living in Texas, she got a call from Janine asking for help. Without hesitation, Ms. Lauren packed her bags and returned to Langston in 2010 to help care for her grandson, JaySean Reese.

Since Ms. Lauren had worked at the C-Store before, she got a call about returning to her old job once she came back. What she didn’t expect, though, was to fall in love with Langston all over again. Surrounded by the warmth of the community and the energy of campus life, she realized she didn’t just want to help her daughter; she wanted to stay.

Already in Oklahoma, she thought, “Why not finish what I started?” So she re-enrolled at Langston University, this time to pursue her master’s in entrepreneurship, proving that sometimes life’s detours lead you exactly where you’re meant to be.

Today, Ms. Lauren is not only a familiar face behind the C-Store counter but also a source of warmth and encouragement to every student who stops by. Behind her smile is a woman continuing her own education, showing her eight grandchildren that, “If I can do it at 68, it’s going to be easy peasy for them.” Her journey proves it’s never too late to chase new goals.

Ms. Lauren looks back on her undergraduate years at Langston with gratitude. “The students were so good to me,” she said. “If I was struggling with anything, they’d say, ‘Come on, Ms. Lauren, we’ll help you.’ Anything I needed, they were there for me.” Whether it was unpacking boxes of snacks for the café, or restocking the fridge with drinks just out of her reach, the students always showed kindness and respect.

She notes that the structure of Langston today isn’t much different from when she first attended. “They had all the same organizations we have now,” she recalls. Back then, she worked in the café and mostly kept to herself. “I didn’t really hang out with the students,” she laughs. “Some of them liked to sit and talk and others talked too much so I just let them have their fun.” Even so, the connection between generations has always been strong. “They were never disrespectful,” she says. “When I was in my 50s and even now in my 60s, the students always treated me with love.”

A message she will share with others walking in a similar path as hers is just to try it, because her first time as an undergrad she never thought she could do something like this. She didn’t think she was smart enough to go to school again. “If it’s on your heart, just do it. That’s all I would say.”