Girl Power: 5 Things You'd Be Wowed About Lauren Parsekian

Lauren’s past empowered not only her, but also other young women.

By Diana Nadim
Girl Power: 5 Things You'd Be Wowed About Lauren Parsekian

Where Was Lauren From?

Lauren Parsekian was born in Orange County in California, U.S.A. She is also known as Lauren Paul, a name she got after marrying Aaron Paul, a renowned American actor, and producer. She studied at Laguna Miguel middle school. Later on, Lauren joined Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, and graduated in 2009 with a degree in Film making.

After graduation, Lauren started her career, and the first job was directing her Finding Kind documentary, which featured her own life experiences. She's also an actress who's featured in many TV series. Example being, The Meredith Vieira Show in 2014, Celebrity Page in 2017, E! Lived in 2014, and NCIS.

She started her activism career after the kind of bullying experience she encountered while in school. She and her longtime friend Molly Thompson started a campaign to visit schools and talked to bullying victims. She also ensured that these girls are given professional counseling.

Who Are Her Parents?


Image Source | Pinterest

Lauren Parsekian was born on December 8, 1986, by her parents, Thomas Parsekian and Debry Kelly. Her mum, Debry, was actively involved in movies like Prizi's Honor (1985), Hot Resort (1985), and Chips.

Her dad Thomas collaborated with her mother in Hot Resort and films like Fame and Club Life. Lauren has two siblings, Brooke Parsekian and Liam Parsekian, whom grew up together.

What Experiences Did She Suffer From When She Was Young?

While in middle school in Laguna Miguel, Lauren Parsekian fell into depression and an eating disorder. The state of depression came as a result of continuous bullying and provocation from girls in her class. On top of that, she got harassment by girls in the upper classes.

But, how did the bullying start? Surprisingly, a girl she was within an all-girl friend group started all that stuff. A certain boy showed interest in her, and because the other girl was also into that boy, she turned others against Lauren, bullied her, and the trend spread to other girls.

The girls harassed her by stealing her items, beating her, and tearing her school assignments. They even went to the extent of eating her food and throwing things at her. The girl bullies also involved boys in asking them to court her and dump her in public to disgrace her. These incidences left Lauren helpless and lonely, which turned into depression.

She couldn't take it anymore, so she attempted suicide while in seventh grade. She was lucky to survive, though that experience was haunting her even after joining college.

What Is "The Kind Campaign?"


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Lauren Parsekian started "The Kind Campaign" after her documentary, Finding Kind, got successful. The experiences she got from bullying from her schoolmate stirred up the movement even more. Lauren has, at many times, talked about her childhood experiences. She remembers how she felt hurt when the girls called her names and other sorts of bullying.

It's evident; she needed to save other girls from bullying. In an interview, Lauren said that her school grades dropped, and she didn't want to be anywhere near the school. All those awful experiences pushed her to help other innocent girls and end bullying habits in schools.

Her movement is a nonprofit making organization that interacts directly with schools. The Finding Kind is her first documentary, which paved the way for Lauren and Molly, giving them a golden chance to meet bullied girls one on one. Every time she gets such an opportunity, she addresses bullies and explains to them the consequences of their actions.

Later on, Lauren and Molly started yet another campaign, "The Campaign Founders Assemblies." It was a great success, and many schools all over North America adopted it. Over 300,000 students changed their bullying perception.

While in this "Kind Campaign Founders Assemblies," the duo emphasized and insisted that girls be kinder, apologize to those they bullied and always be good to their peers. So, was the campaign successful? Yes, Molly and Lauren confirmed that two out of three girls they talked to apologized to someone they've wronged.

Also, most of the girls Lauren and Molly interacted with said they felt more confident and were willing to spread the word and help end bullying. She also advocated for bullying victims and requested their parents, teachers, and classmates to give them moral support.

The Kind Campaign, being an internationally recognized campaign, has received support from many donors. Aaron Paul has also engaged in various activities to fundraise. He is also actively involved in Lauren's efforts to look for expert support for bullying victims.

How Did She Meet Her Husband

Lauren, 24, and Paul Aaron, 33, met for the first time at Coachella Festival in 2010.  They lost contacts but met the following year again in the same Coachella Festival. They started dating and got engaged in Paris on New Year's Eve.

Wait, it might interest you to know more about Lauren Parsekian's husband, Paul Aaron. Well, Paul was born on August 27, 1979, in Emmett, Idaho, U.S.A. His parents were Darla and Robert Sturtevant, a retired Baptist minister. In that regard, Paul grew up engaging in the church's activities and engaged in acting.

 He schooled at Centennial High School, located in Boise, still in Idaho. It was when he reached 8th grade that he found out his passion for acting. Later on, Paul joined the theatre department and enjoyed his lessons. He relocated to Los Angeles after finishing school. He's a renowned American actor and producer, and he won the Saturn Award for the Best Supporting Actor on TV, thrice, in 2009, 2011, and 2013.

Back to Lauren's love life, the lovely couple did their wedding in May 2013, in a 1920's Parisian carnival-themed wedding in Malibu, California. They had a colorful wedding where Foster the people and John Mayer performed at the event, what an honor? They gave birth to their lovely daughter, Story Annabelle Paul, in February 2018.

Ever since this couple has been in love with an extension of expressing their feeling on social media. In one of his many tweets, Paul described his wife as a wonderful person. Likewise, Lauren has never disappointed her husband as she always there on Paul's red carpet occasions.

Surprisingly, this couple has never fought or quarrel throughout their marriage, but they resolve their differences through dialogue. They have demonstrated a kind of happy family to emulate. The couple hangs out with their daughter on many occasions. They have also shared many photos on social media.

What Is Lauren Into Nowadays

Lauren is a mother, wife, actress, and activist. She’s most engaged in her activism career, advocating for the rights of bullying victims. For instance, her documentary, Finding Kind, has featured many untold stories of bullying victims.

She is also a film director and an actor, which has gotten her wealth of over 8 million dollars by 2019. She's also a social media enthusiast who has a huge following on Instagram of about half a million people. Lauren interacts with her followers and fans through such mediums and asks for supports from her fans.

When not at work, Lauren loves cooking various cuisines, and her favorite one is Sushi. She also likes traveling a lot. Lauren has traveled to many destinations, but Portugal is the place she loved the most.

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Summary


Image Source | Daily Express

Lauren's story is one of determination and resilience. She undeniably a strong woman who defied all odds, despite the bullying experiences, and made it in life. She is determined to fight for the rights of bully-victims worldwide while providing professional counseling and guidance.

Her approach to fighting bullying from the grassroots level is what has made her successful in that journey. Many activists only show up on TV and in magazines but, Lauren and her co-founder Molly Thompson took a step and met the victims face to face. On top of that, she also talked to bullies and urged them to change.

Her journey would have been hard if not for her husband, Aaron Paul. He has been active in her campaigns by assisting in raising funds.

Thanks to Lauren's movement, The Kind Campaign, many girls who have gone through bullying have a reason to smile and hope to live. Bullying can lead to depression and death. Lauren tried to commit suicide in seventh grade, as she couldn't take the treatment anymore.

Lastly, this is a wake-up call to all teachers, parents, and other stakeholders involved in school matters. Students go through many problems like bullying, and it's high time they unite and look for a lasting solution.

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