The treasures of Lauren Young

No, she does not want to become a beauty queen.

Lauren Young is currently in the spotlight, thanks to her sister Megan Young — also known as the reigning Miss World. She may have the height, the brains and the beauty to follow in the footsteps of her older sister, but Lauren is determined to pave her own career as an actress.

This has been proven when she left her former home network and became a Kapuso artist last year. “I’m happy with GMA. Dito, pinipiga nila ako. As long as I keep on working, I’m happy. It’s all I need,” Lauren said.

The actress is thankful for the opportunities given to her by her former network, but she added that, “It’s just that I feel like it wasn’t really my time to be there.”

There may be people who are encouraging her to join beauty pageants and to try and emulate the success of her sister Megan, but Lauren enthused that acting is truly her passion.

“I really want to pursue acting. I feel like this is the field where I can make a mark,” she explained.

Given her work as the antagonist Darlene (opposite Louise delos Reyes’ Marilyn) in Mundo Mo’y Akin and now as Hazel in the Sunday afternoon drama-mystery series Dormitoryo, it’s easy to see why she treasures acting. She’s a versatile actress who can switch from one role to another — a proof that she is a treasure for the Kapuso network.

Here are more treasures in Lauren’s life.

Most treasured person: Lauren considers her older brother Victor as her life’s most treasured person. His 21-year-old brother, Lauren explained, is the one who’s “physically there” for her, since her parents are based outside the country and her sister Megan is always busy with her showbiz commitments.

Although she’s younger than Victor, Lauren takes care of his brother’s schooling at a university in Quezon City. Aside from that, “I also take him out shopping, we hang out. Pag nasa set ako, I call him,” Lauren said.

“Kami na lang yung andito ngayon para sa isa’t isa. Ang hirap din na mawala rin siya kasi lahat kami nagkakahiwalay-hiwalay. We’re all growing up,” she added.

Most treasured pet: The Kapuso star loves pets — so she showers her black chow chow with love and care. Her four-year-old dog was bought at a shopping center somewhere in Pasig. And while the way she acquired the dog may not seem so special, Lauren’s love for pets is.

“I love dogs. I love taking care of them. For some people, pets are just for display, to look pretty. But I really love taking care of them. I love saving them. I like giving them a home,” she explained.

Aside from opening a restaurant, Lauren dreams of putting up her own shelter for homeless pets if her finances permit it in the future.

Most treasured place: Being an actress, Lauren is well-traveled but she said nothing can be closer to her heart than her hometown Subic, Zambales.

“It’s the place where I will go when I need to think or need some quiet and peace,” she said.

Even her favorite places in Subic are rooted in her childhood. Lauren shared,  “My one favorite in Subic is a water tower when you drive up there and climb up these stairs, you get on top of a water tank and you see the whole of Subic. So we go there at nighttime. During daytime, we go to the El Kabayo Falls and then we jump down the falls to the water.”

Most treasured advice: Given by her mother, Lauren said, “just pray” is the advice she heeds to the most, as she believes “a simple prayer can help you.”

“A simple prayer actually does help. Even if it doesn’t completely solve your problem, it gives you that sense of relief na nailagay mo yung gusto mong ilabas na hindi mo pwedeng sabihin kahit kanino,” she explained.

Most treasured moment: The Dormitoyo star cites finishing high school as her life’s most treasured moment. Lauren admits it took her a while to finish school, especially since she was also juggling her studies with showbiz work. But she didn’t let that stop her.

“When I put my effort into it, I finished my fourth year high school in four months,” she shared. “When I graduated, parang ito na yun — it was two years late but it’s an achievement that I truly feel honored because I worked really hard.”

Most treasured Kapuso moment: Lauren would never forget her day she was first introduced as a Kapuso — during a GMA 7 trade launch in December 2012. There, she felt immediately welcomed with open arms.

“They were happy that I was there. And I was happy, too. So, just the welcoming part and everyone being so nice and humble — yun yung nagustuhan ko,” she said.

Most treasured project: The young actress treasures her role as Darlene in Mundo Mo’y Akin as it was that role that helped her show to the audience how far she has progressed as an actress. But her indie movie Catnip, Lauren said, is just as treasured.

The film was an entry in an independent film festival in 2012, and she managed to shine despite tackling an unusual role.

“It was my first time to be nominated as best actress. Although I didn’t win, the nomination itself, I will never forget it,” she said.

Why should viewers treasure Dormitoryo? Lauren said the show is different from the usual tween and “pa-kilig” shows that air on its timeslot.

“This is what our audience wants because they always say, ‘Hindi naman kami stupid.’ We have a thinking audience so we finally have a show that they can think about,” she said.