When the producers of MTV’s hit reality TV show Laguna Beach

showed up at Laguna Beach High School to recruit cast members, Lauren’s friend Lo Bosworth convinced her to submit an application. She thought she was signing up to be a part of a documentary about a group of friends enjoying their last year of high school. Of course, it turned into something bigger than she could have imagined.

The series, billed as television’s first “reality drama”, erupted into a cultural phenomenon. It drew massive audiences, with ratings that put it in the top of its time slot amongst both network and cable shows. And from the start, Lauren, dubbed “LC”, was a stand-out cast member who quickly became a fan favorite. More than just beautiful, Lauren was shown to be sweet, likable, and very relatable. She became the nation’s favorite girl-next-door. At the end of her two-season run, many fans simply were not ready to let LC disappear from their lives.

So when the time came for the cast of Laguna Beach to move on to their next ventures, MTV approached her about creating a new spin-off series, The Hills. The Hills followed Lauren’s move to Los Angeles, and her internship at Teen Vogue magazine.

In the flash-and-burn world of reality television, most “stars” burst onto the scene and into the public eye for their 15 minutes of fame and then fade quickly back into oblivion. But during her time on The Hills, Lauren showed that she is not merely your typical reality TV starlet. In an overexposed, overblown world of celebrity escapades, tantrums, and catfights, she stands out as cool, calm, and collected.

Even amidst vicious rumors and betrayals from former friends, Lauren proved to be the epitome of class. She follows the often-recited, rarely-regarded mantra: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

And while The Hills and its camera crews were a huge part of her life, Lauren never wanted it to be her life. Perhaps that’s one of the things that made her so interesting to watch: for her, the show was not just a way for her to become the latest “celebutante” and skip lines at clubs. She is a girl with ambitions. Her roles on MTV proved to be an excellent launching platform for her next venture: designing.

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