JTC 25: Hard Work Unlocks Opportunity

When Lauren Munnell toured the University of Mississippi for the first time, she didn’t just see a campus — she saw possibility. The Franklin, Tennessee, native had never imagined herself at a big Southeastern Conference school, but Oxford offered something special: a close-knit community where she could grow, be challenged and thrive.

“I didn’t want to feel like just another number,” Munnell said. “At Ole Miss, I knew I could build real relationships — with my professors, with my classmates — and still get the big-school experience I dreamed about.”

As a first-generation SEC student raised by a single mom, Munnell’s journey to college wasn’t handed to her; it was something she worked hard for over the course of 10 months. She retook the ACT multiple times to earn scholarships that would make her dream affordable.

In the end, her determination paid off, allowing her to attend Ole Miss with in-state equivalent tuition.

“Finances were a huge part of the decision,” she said. “But once I knew it was possible, I didn’t look back. I wanted to show that if I could make it work, others could too.”

Graduating with a degree in finance, Munnell has built a college experience defined by hard work, meaningful relationships and personal transformation. She has held leadership roles in Kappa Delta sorority, served as director of internal communications for Women in Business and interned for the School of Business Administration since sophomore year.

She’s also a Provost Scholar and a member of Phi Kappa Phi honor society.

But behind the accolades is a student who faced — and overcame — real-life challenges. In 2020, just before Munnell left for college, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It was hard to leave home when I’d been helping care for her,” she said. “But we took it semester by semester. I worked every break to help cover tuition.

“Every bit of progress I made felt like progress for both of us.”

Her story is one of persistence, especially when things were not easy. Lauren said she spent extra time in the library, said “no” to social events when she had exams and put in the hours to build a future on her own terms.

“I’ve studied harder than most people I know — but that was my college experience. And I don’t regret a second of it.”

One of the defining moments in Munnell’s journey came during her sophomore year, when her Marketing 102 instructor, Stella Connell, recognized her potential as a writer and invited her to join the business school's marketing team as an intern.

“I’d been told in high school that I was a terrible writer,” Munnell said. “But Stella believed in me before I believed in myself. That changed everything.”

Since then, Munnell has been published in BusinessFirst, the school’s annual magazine, on the school’s website and social media platforms. She has interviewed faculty, alumni and students, and covered high-profile events for the school.

“It’s been life-changing,” she said. “That internship gave me a voice — and the confidence to use it.”

She also credits Bonnie Van Ness, chair of the finance department, for helping her feel empowered in a male-dominated field.

“She encouraged me constantly and made sure I knew I belonged,” Munnell said. “She made me feel like one of her biggest fans, and I know she’s one of mine.”

After graduation, Munnell plans to work in finance, marketing or sales, ideally, in Nashville. While the job search proceeds, she’s leaning on the support system she built at Ole Miss and trusting that her hard work will open the right doors.

“I don’t have all the answers yet, and that’s OK,” she said. “But I know I’m prepared because of everything I’ve learned and the people who’ve believed in me.”

To incoming students, she offers this advice: be kind to yourself, show up and don’t underestimate what is possible.

“Your path doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s,” she said. “It’s OK to study more, to change your major, to take a different route. The most important thing is to stay true to who you are.”

Looking back, Munnell says the biggest lesson she learned is that growth comes from doing hard things and believing that you’re capable of them.

“I want my story to show other students that it’s possible,” she said. “If you work for it, if you keep showing up, you can do this too.”

When asked to sum up her college experience in just one phrase, Munnell had little hesitation.

“Hotty Toddy,” she said. “You don’t really know what it means until you live it.”

Top: Lauren Munnell, a senior from Franklin, Tennessee, majoring in finance with a minor in marketing, has worked on the Ole Miss business school’s marketing team for three years as a marketing and communications intern. Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services

See more photos from Lauren Munnell's Journey to Commencement