Posted September 11, 2025 in Alumni Profile
We recently caught up with Lawrence 2023 alum, Paige Mountain, to talk about her college journey at Ohio University. Learn how the relationships she built and the resources she gained at Lawrence empowered her to succeed in college.
What has your experience at OU been like so far?
It’s been amazing. I've been involved in a lot of different clubs and organizations, which made college life a lot easier to transition into. It helped me connect with all kinds of people and make a bunch of new friends.
Tell us about your major and what you hope to do after graduation.
My major is Communications. I’m hoping to go into sales after graduation because I feel like you can take so many different routes with a communications degree. It was a good way for me to figure out what I want to do in life.
Talk about some of the clubs and organizations you’re involved in at OU.
I rushed for Greek Life in the fall of my freshman year and joined Gamma Phi Beta. I love it so much. I’ve served in some assistant positions and am living in the house this year, which is super exciting. I’m also on the club golf team, which I’ve really enjoyed. I played golf at Lawrence and just wanted to continue that.
What are you most looking forward to in your junior year?
I’m looking forward to living in my sorority house the most. I’ve had such a good experience with Greek Life, and I think it’s going to be really fun to live with all the girls in my graduating class and really deepen those friendships. I’m so excited for that.
Looking back, how did the College and Career Planning Center at Lawrence help prepare you for post-secondary education?
Mr. Iorillo went to OU, which made it a lot more fun because we would talk about it all the time. He was my grades advisor. He and Mrs. Brogan are both so helpful. I worked with Mr. Iorillo specifically on my applications, and we just talked about where I wanted to go. He really prepared me for school.
Thinking about your high school journey, how important was it to have continuous college and career planning available for all four years?
It was so important. I think Lawrence has so many resources that a lot of other schools don’t have, and the College and Career Planning Center is one of the most important. I feel like not a lot of people take into consideration how awesome Lawrence is and how many different things they have to help prepare you for life after high school.
How did your experiences and relationships at Lawrence shape who you are today?
I think the relationships I made at Lawrence shaped me for the rest of my life. Honestly, I don’t think I’d be a confident person at all without Lawrence. All the connections with the teachers and the people shaped me into a confident individual. Lawrence gave me all the resources and empowerment to believe in my own potential.
How do you feel Lawrence prepared you for the academic and social environment of college?
I believe Lawrence truly prepared me academically by providing essential resources for success, such as Read&Write Gold, speech-to-text software, and private rooms for tests. I still use these resources in college, and they were particularly helpful in teaching me how to advocate for myself. That’s one of Lawrence’s core values, and I think they did an excellent job of putting that into practice to help me succeed.
What was the biggest adjustment you had to make when transitioning from Lawrence to OU?
I would definitely say the size. A lot of my friends came from big public high schools, but at Lawrence, my graduating class had 40 kids in it. Transitioning from that to Ohio University, with an undergraduate student body of about 16,000, was a huge adjustment.
How has OU handled learning differences and accommodations?
OU has been really good with learning differences. I was a little nervous about that transition because it’s such a big step from Lawrence, but they’ve been very good with my accommodations. I’ve been so impressed with how well they’ve handled that.
What advice would you give to current Lawrence students?
I would say to take everything that Lawrence has given you and implement it in your life, because every one of their core values is really important to being a successful person. I truly believe that’s what made me successful. I would also say the basic things, like getting involved and joining a club. I see a big difference between people who have and haven’t joined clubs, and I think people who have can build a lot more friendships and relationships.
What advice would you offer a student who is currently struggling with a learning difference?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. My dad would always tell me, “You can’t go through life without asking for help. Sometimes we need help, and that’s okay.” So don’t be afraid to ask for it because people are willing to help you, whether it’s your family or your friends.