RECognition: Lauren Greene, Instructional Classes
Recreation's monthly series to highlight and celebrate our staff
By Shawn Cyr
Assistant Marketing Director
Lauren Greene has been a gymnast for as long as she can remember. She started gymnastics at age 2, competed throughout high school, and coached for five years before coming to UC San Diego.
And now, for the better part of the past three years, she’s been sharing her love of gymnastics with others — while helping them push the boundaries of what they can accomplish.
“It's extremely rewarding to be able to make a noticeable impact on other students' day, quarter, or even entire UCSD experience,” Lauren says. “The progress students can make in just a few classes is truly remarkable — whether they are learning to do their first handstand or dusting off old competitive skills — and we often see that this excitement encourages students to continue their adult gymnastics journey.”
From landing their first backflip to simply feeling stronger and more capable in their own bodies, Lauren says it's that sense of shared accomplishment and pride that has been her favorite part of REC since coming aboard in October of 2023.
“Our classes and open gyms create a sense of community, bringing students of all ages and backgrounds together and forming meaningful relationships within and among students and coaches,” Lauren says. “I am eager to show other college students that it is never too late to try a new activity, and to help them find the mental strength and power that comes from testing their physical capabilities.”
Lauren, a human biology major third-year in Revelle, teaches gymnastics to students of all ages and abilities, ranging from preschoolers to advanced adults, in classes such as Adult Beginning, Adult Intermediate, Instruction-Based Open Workouts, and the ever-popular Backflip Bootcamp. That class, in particular, holds a special place in Lauren’s heart because it came out of a simple request from patrons: “Can you teach me how to backflip?”
The answer, of course, was yes.
Lauren and former RECognized gymnastics instructor Jessica Chu built the class structure — Backflip Bootcamp runs four times per quarter, each session lasting two weeks — and curriculum from scratch, helping students “gain a skill they often tell us they have wanted to learn forever.”
“By the end of the four-class bootcamp, most students are able to successfully and safely perform a back tuck, and it's a truly rewarding experience to see the excitement on students' faces when they get the skill they have always dreamed of,” Lauren says.
It’s that energy and enthusiasm that has made Lauren an integral part of REC, says Linh-An Ho, Assistant Director for Rec Classes and Youth Programs.
“Her extensive expertise, her constant encouragement, and her warm personality are key reasons that our participants continue to take our classes quarter after quarter,” Ho says. “Behind the scenes, she always strives to improve our program, whether that be helping me install equipment or collaborating with other instructors to develop new classes. Her strong leadership and her genuine joy for teaching have made her an invaluable asset to our program.”
Her other passions include rock climbing, running, tennis, and, more recently, endurance sports such as triathlons, marathons, and Spartan races.
“We even got a group of people from UCSD Rec Gymnastics to run the April Spartan race in San Diego!” she says.
She also enjoys working out, doing research for her orthopedic surgery lab, volunteering with the Special Olympics, traveling, and going for long runs before sunrise.
“Working with UCSD Rec Gymnastics has unquestionably changed my UCSD experience for the better and has helped shape the person I have become,” Lauren says. “I will forever be grateful for the friendships I have formed, the memories I have created, and the skills I have gained through our program.”
