Lauren Lathem and Eamon Hogg

Lauren: The classic answer: I grew up in an Auburn family. I knew I wanted Auburn long before I knew what I wanted to study, and I was fortunate to find my place in engineering after getting to campus.

Eamon: After moving to Auburn in the second grade, my love for science and math quickly turned into an interest in engineering — even if I didn’t really know what that meant yet. Following in the footsteps of my dad and older brother, both Auburn engineering grads, made Auburn feel like the natural place to build my future.  

Though our paths to get there looked very different, they crossed at Southern Company in 2015. Our shared passion for clean energy sparked first a friendship and then something more. Our story didn’t start in Auburn, but it gave us common ground and shared experiences that we built our relationship on.

Eamon: Auburn Engineering gave me the confidence to take risks. After my first year on the job, I left, packed up my car, and moved across the country. I went on to work at NASA, Apple, and a biofuels start-up company while getting my master’s in chemical engineering. Those early jobs gave me the foundation to build my career in energy — working on a first-of-a-kind technology deployment in Mississippi and now as a subject-matter expert at EPRI.   

Lauren: Well, I only made it as far west as Texas, but I agree that my Auburn engineering degree gave me the confidence to say yes to new and unknown opportunities. I spent the first five years of my career in fossil energy but made a hard pivot in 2018 to advanced nuclear — an industry that I knew nothing about. The capacity for learning and endless curiosity I refined at Auburn gave me what I have needed to be successful. 

As a couple, we have built a beautiful life in Birmingham filled with animals, we are rehabilitating a 100-year-old house into our home, and we look forward to continuing to travel the world together.

Lauren: The Auburn Creed. I love that it’s something that connects us for life. It reflects the values we share as the Auburn family — that we work hard, know that knowledge is power, and have a spirit that is not afraid.

Eamon: Aubie. That head bobble and tail swing, I mean… but also what Lauren said.  

Just as the Creed reminds us to believe in Auburn and love it, a strong relationship starts with believing in your partner and choosing to love them every day.