Title:A Legacy of Love:
The Life of Lauren Anne Muñoz Geoghegan

The Lauren Anne Muñoz Geoghegan C’10 Timshel Memorial Scholarship at Georgetown University celebrates the life of a remarkable young woman whose passion for living is an inspiration to others. Those who knew Lauren fell in love with her enthusiasm for life and her love for family and friends.

Lauren was born September 27, 1988 in Los Angeles, California. She attended Immaculate Heart High School where her qualities of humility, self-reflection, integrity and enthusiasm for learning were enriched by the school’s mission to develop “women of great heart and right conscience.” Lauren’s senior yearbook quote from John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, Timshel, is a Hebrew word meaning “Thou mayest.” Lauren took to heart the novel’s theme of good versus evil and the challenge to be mindful of how one lives. She channeled the idea of Timshel by living a deliberate, meaningful life that had at its core the goal of understanding and helping others. These values as well as the support and love of family and friends formed a foundation for her time at Georgetown University and beyond.

Lauren spent 11 years on “the Hilltop,” first as an undergraduate and then working in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. As an undergraduate, she reveled in meeting new people, making friends on and off campus, and taking advantage of the many opportunities Georgetown offered. During her first year, Lauren interned on Capitol Hill for United States Representative Adam Schiff. She continued to pursue her high school passion for theater through coursework in the drama department and involvement in on-campus productions. Her adventurous spirit and love of other cultures spurred her to supplement her major in Government with minors in Arabic and Spanish. Lauren studied at the Complutense University of Madrid and the Lebanese American University in Beirut to immerse herself in these cultures and augment her language proficiency. During that time, she traveled throughout Europe, Morocco, Turkey, and the Middle East. She helped finance her studies at Georgetown by working on and off campus all four years including a year as a Resident Assistant in Darnall Hall. Her Georgetown experience expanded her understanding of the school’s ethos of cura personalis, the ideal of developing one’s whole self while “becoming men and women for others.”

Lauren was passionate about making Georgetown more diverse and inclusive. Her admissions responsibilities allowed her to act on her commitment to equal educational opportunity for all students. She reached out to qualified applicants from disadvantaged circumstances and encouraged them during the application process. As an information officer, Lauren organized campus tours and supervised a team of students who responded to inquiries about the University. As an admissions officer, Lauren traveled throughout the United States in the Exploring College Options program speaking to large audiences of prospective students. Additionally, she recruited students in her designated region of Southern California giving presentations at local high schools and meeting with counselors and Georgetown interviewers and alumni. She supported the applicants in her region by reading their files and advocating on their behalf to the admissions committee. She also co-ran the admitted student weekends, where she enjoyed working with Georgetown student volunteers. Every day Lauren worked to give others the opportunity to be enriched by and contribute to Georgetown and its mission of making the world a better place.

Lauren also volunteered and formed meaningful connections at the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project in Washington D.C. During weeknight play time visits and monthly field trips, she furthered the Project’s mission of relieving “the stress of homelessness through the healing power of play.” Lauren’s playfulness, imagination and love for children found the perfect calling in this setting.

In early 2016, Lauren and her partner, Jay Austin, began dreaming about a bicycle trip around the world. They planned to travel through Africa, Europe, Anatolia, Central Asia, India, Southeast Asia, Oceania and South America. Lauren and Jay spent the next 18 months preparing for the trip. Jay set up a blog, simplycycling.org, to share their preparations, chronicle their trip and inspire others. Lauren saw the trip as a sabbatical from higher education, to see the world and meet its people. They embarked on their journey on July 6, 2017, cycling through 26 countries in Africa, Europe, and Asia in just over a year.

Lauren challenged herself by cycling thousands of miles in all types of weather and terrain. Traveling the world by bicycle offered unique opportunities to engage with the local people. Living frugally and camping outdoors, removed barriers between her and the people she met. Strangers responded to her openness with warmth and generosity by offering her food, shelter and friendship. Lauren’s indomitable spirit, perseverance, stamina and love for this adventure powered her incredible journey.

Tragically, Lauren’s journey was cut short by ISIS terrorists, who were ordered to kill a group of Westerners. Lauren, Jay and two European cyclists were attacked and murdered as they pedaled on a highway towards Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.

Lauren did not live to see her 30th birthday. In her short life, she wholeheartedly pursued her dream of experiencing the world and its people. She imbued her travels with the Georgetown ethos of cura personalis, expanding her global perspective and affinity for other cultures. She became a global citizen whose identity was not solely tied to where she came from. Her interactions with people demonstrated her belief that we share a common humanity and are able to embrace and transcend our differences.