LEFT: Lauren Rubinstein '20 dribbling a basketball during a game; RIGHT: Current head shot of Lauren Rubinstein

Women's Basketball 11/29/2023 12:23:00 PM

Alumni Spotlight: Lauren Rubinstein '20, Women's Basketball

Women's Basketball 11/29/2023 12:23:00 PM

Alumni Spotlight: Lauren Rubinstein '20, Women's Basketball

Alumni Spotlights are Q&A's with former Brandeis student-athletes, across a myriad of disciplines, as they reflect on their Brandeis experience and how it has shaped their lives today. Read more spotlight features here.

Name: Lauren Rubinstein '20
Sport: Women's Basketball
Current job: Recruiting Coordinator, Neumora Theraputics

A 2020 Brandeis graduate with a degree in Environmental Studies, Rubinstein was a women's basketball team captain as a senior. She was presented with the Department of Athletics' Stephen Gendzier Prize for overcoming hardship with perseverance. Rubinstein battled through three ACL surgeries early in her career to become a key reserve as a junior and starter as a senior, averaging 6.3 points per game and more than two rebounds, two assists and one steal per game as well.

Since graduating, Rubinstein has worked in the human resources side of the biotechnology field. Over the past three years for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, GentiBio and Neumora Theraputics. In 2023, she rejoined the Brandeis Women's Basketball team as an assistant coach.

What drew you to Brandeis in the first place?
I believe the tight knit community I saw on the team at the time as well as the competitive athletics aspect really sold Brandeis for me. I wanted to find a place that I felt comfortable to grow and succeed, both in athletics, academics, and also as an individual. Brandeis really gave me that space to do so.

Describe your overall experience as a student-athlete. What does it mean to you now/what did it mean to you while you were an undergraduate?
If I had to use one word to describe my student-athlete experience, I would use the word demanding. Looking back at my time at Brandeis, I feel pride in what I was able to tackle on a day to day basis - from managing my academics, to showing up to lifts and practice every day, to dealing with difficult bumps in the road like my injuries. Even with all that going on, student-athletes are expected not only to persevere, but thrive in this environment. At the time, it's hard to take a step back and realize everything you are doing and be proud of it because it can be hectic and overwhelming. Now, it brings me immense pride knowing that I was able to succeed in such an environment. Going forward, even if I have bumps in the road post-college, I know that I have a foundation and the confidence that not only will I be able to get past those obstacles, but come out stronger on the other side.

Do you have any advice for current or future Brandeis Student-Athletes?
Slow down. As I mentioned, it's easy to get swept up in the momentum of being a student-athlete at Brandeis with everything on your plate. I look back at my experience and deeply appreciate all the good and bad that came with it. Being able to slow down in the moment and think about how much your team, your sport, and the whole Athletic community means to you is something I wish I did when I was still playing because it is special. It's special in a way that it isn't something you forget about after leaving but in a way that these people, this sport, will shape you into the person that you will be for the rest of your life and I feel like that should be appreciated constantly.

Do you keep in touch with any of your former Brandeis teammates? How?
I sure do. I currently live with my best friend who was on the Men's basketball team and recently took a trip to visit my former teammate who was living overseas this past year. I consider my teammates to be my sisters even now and I'm sure any one of us you talk to would say the same. You go to Brandeis with a family of your own and you leave with this whole other crazy, wacky family that means just as much to you

Looking back on your basketball career at Brandeis, do you have any one or two moments that you look back on and cherish?
I think one of the best memories I look back on is junior year off-season when I got named captain. And it's not for the reason you may think.

Being an injured teammate for most of my career, I struggled a lot with finding my role on the team when being out for 9-12 months per ACL. It was difficult to keep my head up and feel like I was still a valued member on the team when the only thing preventing that was my own body. After my third injury, I made a decision that no matter what, I was going to try my best to make an impact, no matter how small, everyday. I grew my voice on the team and tried to be involved during practices and games as much as I could.

When I got named captain Junior year, I had almost this "Aha!" moment. I realized that being a good teammate and having the backs of everyone on the team means so much more than dropping triple-doubles every game. It shifted my whole mindset going into my senior year that I don't need to score the most or be the best player out there, I needed to continue to be a good teammate and make sure everyone around me is successful in whatever way that may be. It is one of the many things I learned and value to this day.

What personal or professional accomplishments are you most proud of since you graduated?
I would say coming back to Brandeis Women's basketball and being on the coaching staff. Being able to come back to the team that means so much to me is an amazing feeling. Not only am I around the sport I love again but I can now help the current team handle the daily struggles I went through. It's a very cool feeling being able to do so and I'm very happy to have had the opportunity to be. #BWBHOO

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