A native of Advance, North Carolina, Lauryn Grace Mallard is the daughter of Tony and Rebecca Mallard. Lauryn is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and High Point University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science with minors in Biology, Chemistry, and Dance from UNCG in 2021 before earning her Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Management from High Point University in 2024. Through the Miss America Opportunity, Lauryn has earned $45,000 in academic scholarships and plans to pursue a Physician Assistant degree, with the long-term goal of opening a private pediatric practice and serving children and families through medicine. Lauryn’s passion for healthcare and cancer advocacy is deeply personal. Marked by the loss of her grandmother, Peggy Ann Mallard, to kidney cancer, Lauryn aspires to become a healthcare provider who delivers compassionate and exceptional clinical care while supporting patients and their families through every part of their healthcare journey.

A lifelong volunteer, Lauryn began serving with Make-A-Wish as a child and has continued to make service a cornerstone of her life. Her Community Service Initiative, Fight with Grace, is dedicated to raising awareness, advocating for pediatric cancer research and patient care, and bringing hope to children and families navigating a cancer diagnosis. Lauryn has raised more than $20,000 to directly support childhood cancer research and patient care and has partnered with organizations and children’s hospitals across North Carolina.