Lauren Benton, a 2013 graduate of Mineola High School, earned her master of arts in communication from Mississippi State University on May 15, 2025.

She received her bachelor of arts in communication with a concentration in multimedia journalism from the University of Memphis in 2018.

While pursuing her master’s degree, Benton continued working full time at Mississippi State, where she has served in a variety of marketing and communications roles over the last six years, from social media strategy to enrollment marketing. She serves as the assistant director of graduate enrollment marketing for the MSU graduate school.

A first-generation college graduate, Benton centered her graduate work on how communication can be used to increase student engagement and event participation. One of her final projects focused on improving outreach to first-generation graduate students and helping them feel more connected to campus life.