Marketer and journalist Lauren Patrick to give keynote at GSPA Awards

Lauren (Morgan) Patrick, head of marketing at Infinite Giving, will give the keynote address at the Georgia Scholastic Press Association’s Spring Awards on March 18, 2026, at the UGA Georgia Center for Continuing Education.

Patrick has been part of GSPA for more than two decades, first attending the Summer Media Academy in 2002 and later serving as a student assistant and Academy counselor from 2004 to 2006. She has also taught sessions during conferences and workshops.

“As a storyteller, I’m at a surprising loss for words at what it means to return home to the University of Georgia and share my career journey with the next generation of journalists at GSPA," said Patrick. “When I was a student journalist, I had mentors and teachers who encouraged me to find my voice. Now, 20 years later, I’m honored to share how a foundation in journalism can lead to a successful career.”

While at UGA, Patrick worked with the Peabody Awards, served as a Grady College Ambassador, and became Editor-in-Chief of The Red & Black. Patrick’s journalism career started at The Gwinnett Daily Post, then onto Naylor Publications, contributing to Athens magazine, Jezebel magazine, and in marketing at AutoTrader.com and RaceTrac. In 2011, she launched PrettySouthern.com, which grew into a top lifestyle blog, became a media partner for the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, earned Elite Yelp reviewer status, and still ranks #1 on Google Images for “Atlanta Bucket List.” Her journalism background led her into Atlanta’s startup ecosystem, where she serves as an advisor at Atlanta Tech Village. Today, she is Head of Marketing at Infinite Giving, a platform helping nonprofits achieve financial sustainability, and co-published “Funding Your Mission” in December 2025 with the company’s CEO. She is now working on finally publishing her own novel.

Registration for the GSPA Spring Workshop and Awards is open through March 9. Visit www.ugagspa.org/workshop-awards for details.