Paris Lawrence (’18)

I am most proud of building a leadership trajectory defined by early development, sustained impact and the ability to design environments where others grow. That trajectory began at Georgia Southern University, where I was developed early and entrusted with meaningful leadership responsibility. I served as Mr. Georgia Southern University, Resident Assistant, Peer Mentor and held a leadership role within Conference Services, in addition to serving as President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and President of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. These roles required me to support individual student development while also leading at an institutional level. Georgia Southern created opportunities for me to see potential in myself before I fully understood it and expected me to lead in ways that reflected that potential.

My professional work has expanded across higher education, academic medicine and global enterprise. At the Yale School of Medicine, I led and supported learning and development efforts within an environment shaped by some of the world’s most advanced thinkers. My work focused on preparing the next generation of physicians to lead in high-stakes, complex systems, requiring both intellectual rigor and applied leadership. I now contribute to leadership and learning strategies at UnitedHealth Group, where the scale of impact extends across a global workforce of over 400,000 employees.

My work focuses on how leadership is developed, how systems support performance and how individuals are positioned to grow within a large, complex organization. Alongside this work, I am a first-generation doctoral student at the University of Georgia, pursuing a PhD in Learning, Leadership, and Organizational Development. This reflects a continued commitment to grounding my practice in scholarship and contributing to the future of leadership and learning.