“I was able to be successful despite my injury…I think I embody the class of 2020 because the class of 2020 is graduating in times of uncertainty and I began college in times of uncertainty.”

WORCESTER, Mass. —  Five years ago, Lauren Robichaud did not expect to be in the position she was on May 15, 2021: standing in front of a crowd, giving a speech and addressing the Assumption University class of 2020 — one year behind schedule — as their valedictorian.

Robichaud sustained a traumatic brain injury the summer before entering her senior year of high school. It left her with persisting symptoms and a number of challenges to overcome. In the beginning, Robichaud’s symptoms were extreme, and many still last today. Hearing loss, focus and memory recall issues, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, convergence issues in her eyes, migraines and cervical spondylosis continue.

“The biggest thing that I will take with me from my experience with Assumption is to never hesitate to ask for help in any way,” Robichaud said. “With a concussion, you don’t have a visible injury…It’s kind of an injury you have, but you look totally fine on the outside.”

It was this lesson that paved Robichaud’s path to valedictorian during a global pandemic.

“Once I did start to ask, I realized how willing everyone was to help me and they had such a personal interest in my success,” Robichaud said. “If I hadn’t had that help and support, I don’t think I would be where I am today.”

Robichaud graduated with her degree in accounting with a focus on fraud and forensics, as well as with a minor in French. But right before entering her freshman year in the fall of 2016, she was forced to defer enrollment.

“Senior year of high school was very intense going into college,” Robichaud said, “so that’s why I took off a bit of time.”

Luckily, Robichaud says, she had the support of her school.

“They were really, really great with helping me out,” Robichaud said. “Assumption has a really great accessibilities office. They were quick to meet with me before I even started school to talk out what type of symptoms I was still experiencing and how they could help.”

She chose Assumption for its small size and close proximity to her home in Holden. Robichaud was a commuter for her first two years because, as she says, her recovery was a “one step at a time” situation.

“Both of my parents are actually alumni of Assumption. When I was experiencing concussion syndrome and [knew] that I wanted to be closer to home and a smaller school, obviously Assumption came to their minds,” Robichaud said. “They could speak to the individual attention I needed at the time.”

Teachers — like her adviser and professor in accounting, Paul Piwko — helped Robichaud along the way.

“Professors would usually try to meet with me during the first week of classes…They were all very active in reaching out right away,” Robichaud said. “He’s very passionate about students’ mental health. He was really open about talking about my injury and what I needed to be successful.”

But Robichaud is honest about the realities of college life in the midst of a brain injury.

“There were definitely days that I felt discouraged and that I wasn’t having a typical college experience that some of my friends from high school,” Robichaud said. “There were days that I didn’t know how successful I was going to be with all of the symptoms and I’d have to remember things.”

But Robichaud persevered. And so, too, did the entire class of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Robichaud completed her senior year and graduate studies online. Long hours in front of a computer screen posed some issues with her ongoing symptoms, resulting in greater fatigue and even more headaches. She learned to cope with her post-concussion symptoms by taking advantage of the flexibility that virtual lessons provided. She took classes at her own pace and explored strategies to alleviate side-effects. Filtered glasses and outdoor time were helpful.

“The virtual classes were helpful in some ways because you got to do classes at your own pace,” Robichaud said. “Taking the classes on my own time, going outside, and things like that definitely helped.”

Being denied the typical trappings of senior year and graduation, Robichaud and her classmates experienced an anti-climatic ending to a major milestone. That is, until last month, when they safely congregated for a proper commencement ceremony.

“It was definitely more emotional for me, just because it was the first time that the class of 2020 was able to get back together,” Robichaud said. “We didn’t really get to say proper goodbyes…It was graduation but it was also like a one year reunion at the same time.”

When Robichaud found out that she was valedictorian, it came as a shock.

“I was really surprised. When I received the email that said I was selected as valedictorian, it took a bit of time for that to sink in because college was a bit of a whirlwind with how I had to take a semester off and slowly work my way into it.”

Robichaud and nine other students were asked to apply and submit a speech to become the valedictorian. That group was narrowed down to five, and they had to have an interview with the commencement committee. Robichaud, who was actually No. 3 in the class, answered questions about how she embodied Assumption and what the education meant to her.

In her speech, Robichaud focused on Assumption’s mantra, Light the Way, and the qualities of critical intelligence, compassionate service and thoughtful citizenship.

“When I was writing the speech, I was trying to think of what the class of 2020 was going through, graduating college and not knowing what’s next,” Robichaud said. 

She related their pandemic experience to a lighthouse. Robichaud said the graduates can always return to the ideas and paths that their alma mater has set them on, allowing them to “light the way” through times of uncertainty.

While she did not include her individual experience in the speech, Robichaud said the message is similar to the perseverance she had to exhibit throughout her college career.

“I kind of proved to myself that I’m capable of anything that I set my mind to despite the challenges,” Robichaud said. “I was able to be successful despite my injury…I think I embody the class of 2020 because the class of 2020 is graduating in times of uncertainty and I began college in times of uncertainty.”

Robichaud currently has a job lined up with the TJX Companies as a financial accountant. She said that the challenges she faced throughout college will help her moving forward.

“I think that Assumption really helped me, and I think that going forward, our experience can help us through uncertain times,” Robichaud said.