Finding Greatness: Lauren Faulkner
Author: Sheron Smith
Posted: Monday, September 29, 2025 12:00 AM
Categories:
Pressroom | Students | Finding Greatness | School of Arts and Letters
Macon, GA
For Lauren Faulkner, words are more than a passion. Now serving as editor-in-chief of 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø’s literary magazine, this Macon native, Army veteran, and full-time graduate student is using her talents to shape stories, strengthen her craft, and define her professional calling.
Full Name: Lauren Elizabeth Faulkner.
Age: 37.
Hometown & Residence: Macon.
Employment: “I am currently a full-time graduate student at MGA. I write freelance articles for The Monroe County/Macon Reporter, which is published once a week. I was also given my own opinion column in the same paper, which I call Literally Lauren. Most recently, I was honored to be named editor-in-chief for the University’s literary magazine,.”
Activities: “This is my second year working on the staff of The Fall Line Review, and I was privileged to be named editor-in-chief for the 2026 issue. Working with the amazing faculty and students has been an incredible experience, and I am eager to watch the publication grow and develop this year, as well as all the years to come.”
MGA Graduate Degree Objective: Master of Arts in Technical and Professional Writing.
Undergraduate Degrees: “I received my B.S. in Criminal Justice in 2016 from MGA. I also completed the graduate creative writing program recently and moved directly into the master’s degree program.”
She chose 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø for graduate school because … “It feels like home here. I have traveled the world, worked all over the United States, joined the Army, and taken more road trips than I can count. When I began looking at programs to support my creative and technical writing aims, 51³Ô¹ÏºÚÁÏÍø just felt like home. It’s an affordable university with an experienced and caring faculty that encourages student success.”
Her greatest experience as a Middle Georgia State grad student has been … “I could list several great experiences here: being chosen as editor-in-chief, speaking on a panel about my poetry, or getting a good grade. But my greatest experience has been finding my niche through MGA’s writing programs. I have always felt like a square peg trying to fit into a triangle world, but throughout my graduate school courses I have found myself succeeding and doing so happily.”
To her, greatness means … “In my experience, greatness is often found in the smallest of places. Being successful is great in its own way, but I think that greatness is found in the smallest acts of humanity: a nod of encouragement when someone is afraid; little acts of kindness; a single voice speaking out against injustice. Those are the things that encourage greatness and positive change.”
In five years … “Although I love to write, I plan to use the skills I have learned in the Master of Arts in Technical and Professional Writing to find a career in editing. I would love to find myself working for a publishing house in five years, either independent or one of the big five. As a writer who has found very little empathy in the publishing process, I would really enjoy helping other writers develop their manuscripts and succeed with their own writing aims.”