UWindsor grad Lauren O'Neil for AXE
By Alanna Magri
Lance Writer
February 24, 2010
 Imagine a summer job where you got paid $10,000 and put up in a sweet apartment in Toronto just to party, date, and blog all about it.
Yes, this job is real and UWindsor graduate and former Lance Out Loud co-host Lauren O’Neil has made it as one of the finalists running for AXE Canada’s Ridiculously, Ridiculously, Good Summer Gig.
Until March 31, the final five dudes and chicks will duke it out through six challenges trying to win our hearts and our votes. At the end, one man and one woman will be crowned AXE Canada’s first ever Consumer Consultants and given the experience of a lifetime.
The first challenge has already been completed and O’Neil has taken control of the situation and showed us her versatility and creativity.
After graduating UWindsor with an honours BA in communication studies, and a minor in information technology, O’Neil is now in grad school at the University of Western Ontario.
She’s been on exchange to Sweden, had her work published, dabbled in modeling, worked with the Lance and Much Music, and was a finalist in the Canadian Living Journalism Student competition.
After being convinced that she was perfect for the job from friends and family, O’Neil put her “I didn’t think I’d stand a chance” attitude aside and applied for the job.
Little did she know she would soon be handing out “Vote for Me” cards, making conversations with strangers, and blogging and tweeting away her experiences as they come along.
The selected AXE representatives will have to carry out their duties of attending events, dating, gaining marketing experience, and sharing all the nasty details through blogs for two months. Or as O’Neil calls it, “Having the best summer ever and getting paid for it.”
Besides all the fun and games, O’Neil hopes to gain much more than a free pad and a lot of money, she is hoping to gain real world experience.
“I’ll be able to network, learn new things, get exposure, and have a blast while I’m at it. I’ll also get a whole whack of great memories—can’t put a price on that,” said O’Neil.
Currently, O’Neil is finishing up a MA of Journalism in London with hopes of trekking to a bigger city, one that will offer her a media-related or creative career. O’Neil has no set plan just yet, however, “It’s hard to say what you’re going to do for the rest of your life at such a young age. I plan on having a lot of adventures—that’s one thing I can say for certain.”
So why should we vote for Lauren O’Neil? Because she’s qualified and experienced? Because she’s got creativity and spunk? Because we “have to support the home team,” as O’Neil puts it? She truly believes that she is suitable for this job, and knows that she will not disappoint.
“I can guarantee you that no matter what kind of mischief I get myself into this summer, the blog I write will always entertain.”
Head over to www.axesummergig.ca to Vote Lauren for AXE. To keep up with her personal blogs, read www.laurenoutloud.com. You can also find her on Facebook (laurenforaxe) and Twitter (laurenonizzle).
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