LaurenLaurenNYU Application 2011/Essay 3

ON THE COVER:Interview with Lauren D’Alessandro

THE YOU ARE PROJECTchanging the world—one woman at a time

BE INSPIREDby a few of my

favorite things

Letter from the EditorDear Readers, I’ve always loved both reading and creating magazines. When I was younger, I used to write and design mini newsletters and magazines to give out to my friends and family.

What I really like about them is that they are more than just written ideas; magazines are a form of visual communication. It’s amazing how good writing and good design can work hand in hand to share a message. This magazine was meant to express who I am and what I love. You will find photos of the people I love and the ideas that inspire me. You’ll discover some of my artwork and learn the special meaning that each piece holds. You will learn

The beautiful photography for my interview was taken by Christine Neitzel and Kathleen Thompson. Our photos were shot at the waterfront in Camden, New Jersey and all over Philadelphia.

about “The You Are Project”, a business venture I founded with my friend Catherine. You’ll also read an exclusive interview with me followed by a sneak peek inside my journal.

I hope that you will enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed making it. I also hope that you will learn more about who I am and who I want to become.

Yours truly, Lauren Rose D’Alessandro

“Magazines are more than just written ideas; they are a form of visual communication.”

Table of ContentsLauren’s PinboardFind out what inspires me!

Art PortfolioI’m no Picasso, but art is one of my favorite hobbies.

The You Are ProjectA nonprofit that inspires women to become everything they can be.

Interview with LaurenLearn more about who I am in this exclusive interview.

My JournalIf I had to pick a “favorite thing”, writing is IT. Read some of my favorites from my journal.

Magazine Credits Photos of Lauren by KC Photography

Photos for “The You Are Project” by Monica Manklang

Background and frames for “Art Portfolio” from Shutterstock

Layout designed by Lauren D’Alessandro

my pinboard

things that INSPIRE me

Art Portfolio

This is my first foray into the world of abstract art. It’s a non-representational painting created by taking photos from each of the four seasons and turning them into shapes that don’t represent anything that appears in the natural world. I was definitely not accustomed to this type of art, but I enjoyed focusing on the colors and shapes rather than trying to make the painting look exactly like a specific object.

I was really proud of this painting because it helped me to appreciate art for more than just aesthetics. I decided to depict the life cycle of a rose, but I made the decision to switch the last two roses. I am a Christian and I believe that while our earthly bodies pass away, we will be resurrected when Christ returns and we will be given glorified bodies. It was the first time that something I painted had so much meaning to me, and it was awesome to listen to others in my class share what it meant to them.

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This is the first magazine cover that I designed. It’s not amazing graphically, but I love it because this was created when I was first coming up with ideas for what would become The You Are Project.

This is a painting I did based on a photograph I took while on vacation in New Hampshire. I love using vibrant colors, and I love the high contrast between the sky and the black branches of the tree. This is one of my favorite paintings, because it’s simple and bold at the same time.

I usually get stuck working with the same medium over and over again, but this was done with cut paper rather than paint or drawing tools. For the top half, I used actual leaves to create the leaf shapes, and then I added the wavy lines to add some moment and represent wind. The bottom half is an extreme close-up of the veins of leaf. It’s amazing how “zooming in” can make an everyday object look more abstract.

what makes you

beautiful?

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the you are project

The You Are Project is a non-profit organization that was founded by Lauren D’Alessandro and

Catherine Smith. Lauren has always had a passion for magazines, and that is where the vision began.

An avid reader, Lauren found herself disappointed with the current select of magazines. She decided

to create a publication that had fashion, beauty, and interior design, but that also had articles geared

toward intelligent women who were interested in more than just their appearance.

As Lauren began working on a magazine, she got stuck because she didn’t have a name for it.

She put the project on the back burner for a month or two, and by chance she met Catherine, who

had a dream of starting an organization that would show women who they really are.

The You Are Project is the marriage of these two dreams. They have started with the release

of an online magazine entitled, “You Are Real”, and with their website, theyouareproject.com.

Eventually, they hope to host events and missions trips and to create a print version of the magazine

for newsstands.

Issuu.com is used to publish the virtual magazine. Lauren does the layout and design, and both Catherine and Lauren write articles. There are three other staff writers: Lindsay Fessel, Lisa D’Alessandro, and Debi White.

The You Are Project Exists to: • Support women in discovering truths about who they are• Cultivate and advance valuable relationships between women• Resource and equip women to use these truths to unleash their potential and make a

lasting impact on the worldWe will accomplish these goals by: • Creating publications that are geared toward building women’s self-esteem, inspiring

creativity, and promoting an interest in and awareness of other women and what they are struggling with, learning from, and accomplishing

• Making women aware of organizations and resources that can improve their lives• Partnering with other organizations around the world that have similar goals• Hosting events to foster relationships between women of different backgrounds and

generations

our mission

Exclusive interview

with Lauren D’Alessandro

On The CoverWhat are the most important things that readers should know about you?

I’m a self-starter, and I crave a challenge. I’m also driven by my passion for God and for the causes that He has placed on my heart. One of these causes is helping women to become more confident and to inspire them to do what they love.

Since I was very young, I’ve considered my-self to be a writer and an entrepreneur. Those two words will always carry a lot of weight with me, because they describe who I am at my core. I love to learn, and I have interests in many ar-eas. I’m always looking for ways to combine my interests so that I don’t have to pick and choose which ones I can pursue.

What moments in your life have had the biggest impact on the way you look at life?

A big turning point for me was when I stayed home and went to community college while most of my friends went away to school. I grew up in a small Christian school and had the same friends since kindergarten, so being in a position where I didn’t know anyone was an adjustment for me. During that time I learned a lot about doing things for myself, being my own person, and making my beliefs my own.

Another more recent experience that really im-pacted me was when one of my good friends, Ben, passed away in a motorcycle accident. This tragedy changed my perspective on life. When someone you love dies, moments that might not have seemed that significant to you suddenly become extremely important. I try to recognize how valuable my time spent with my family and friends is, rather than realizing after the fact how much they meant to me. I’ve also gotten better at enjoying the moment; there’s nothing wrong with making plans, but if we aren’t paying attention to the present we are miss-ing out on life.

with Lauren D’Alessandro“I’ve always considered myself to be a writer and an entrepreneur.”

my weaknesses was my lack of confidence. That has definitely changed – now I feel like my confidence is one of my best traits.

Another big change is that I’ve learned to place just as much value on others as I do on myself. I’ve always been a “do everything myself” kind of person, but lately I’ve come to appreciate the fact that everyone has different talents, and that people can do more together than alone. In working on The You Are Project, I’ve realized that it’s physically impossible to do everything on my own – I NEED help from others to accomplish my goals!

Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

Hopefully, I will be able to work on The You Are Project full time. I want us to be hosting events for women to attend and to be influential in the media. I want to be traveling a lot, in and out of the country. I also hope to either be writing music and singing or working on a novel.

What is one of the biggest challenges you’re facing right now?

Maintaining balance in my life! I work full-time, and when I get home I spend much of my time writing, designing websites and magazines, or adding to our business plan. It’s exhausting, and that doesn’t even include my friends, family, and staying healthy. For a while, I was spending a lot of time alone in my room working on “The You Are Project”, but then I realized that if I didn’t have actual relationships with other women, what I was doing had no purpose. Now, I set aside nights to hang out with my friends. On nights that I do stay home and work, I try to give myself at least an hour to relax so that I don’t get too overwhelmed.

Looking at yourself five years ago, what about you has changed the most?

In preparation for my NYU application, I took a peek at the essay I wrote when I applied for undergrad. I talked about my love for entrepreneurship, and I pointed out that one of

“I need help from others to accomplish my goals.”

5 words to describe mePassionate, Loyal, Creative, Independent, Intense

5 of my favorite thingsRoses, Autumn, Skylines, Blank notebooks, Cerulean blue

5 favorite songs“One Thing Remains” by Jesus Culture, “Meteor Shower” by Owl City, “Until It Sleeps” by Metallica, “All Around Me” by Flyleaf, “Let it Be” by The Beatles

5 favorite placesMy church, True North; Starbucks; The city (I love being in any city, but NYC is my favorite); My room; Newfound Lake (in New Hampshire)

5 things I want to do with my lifePublish a novel; Write and sing my own songs; Start a business (or more than one); Travel to Israel, Italy, and India; Get married and have a family

five things about me...

Dear God,

I strive to praise You with beautiful words; words that express Your won-

der, Your love. But as badly as I want this, the words don’t seem to come.

You’ve taken this wicked, broken girl and filled the last empty part of my

soul. How do I explain that? How could my words do justice to a beauty I can’t

even comprehend? And how do I put into words the DEPTH of the hunger I feel every time

I speak of Your love? Or the broken heart I have for those who don’t have

what I’ve been given? I don’t know how to tell them that you aren’t just near me - You dwell

in me. In this body! You’ve chosen to reside in this broken, tired, imper-

fect human body. I must really mean something to You. I don’t know how I

could have missed that. You really must care about me – more than I even

know. You want to know something? I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.

I think I’m in love with You.

A Song For You

I want to write a song for You, Lord.With words that are honest and pure.

But how can pure words flow from a heartSo riddled with imperfection?

I look in Your eyes, You say, “Don’t look away.”But I am distracted by the end of the day - Oh how can one so foolish bring praise, bring glory

To One so beautiful, selfless and holy?

I turn my face away, You pull me back again.Try so hard to run away, somehow you pull me in.Despite my rebellion and all my insecurities,You say You love me, and You put my heart at peace.God of the Universe, You deserve better than this...Why have you called me worthy?

my journalI’ve been in love with writing since I started with my pink ballerina

journal at age 6. Here’s a peek at what’s inside my head...

Submitted by:Lauren Rose D’Alessandro

March 31, 1988NYU Application Essay 3