Senior guard Lauren Spargo grew up with a fire captain for a dad. The father-daughter stories did not consist of Disney princesses; instead, he told her about his experiences on the job.
One story that she has carried with her since she was a child was about a car fire involving teenagers. She remembers her dad’s story about a boy running for his life while he was on fire, and told her how he could see the trail of the boy’s skin melting off as he ran.
“That was really a gnarly story that kind of sticks in my head, but there’s a ton of stories,” Spargo said. “He doesn’t really toot his horn about the good ones.”
Growing up, Spargo would watch “Life in the E.R.” with her dad all the time, but she realized along the way that becoming a doctor wasn’t what she wanted.
Even when consistently watching episodes of the lives of doctors working in the E.R., her dad’s firefighting stories were the ones that captivated her.
“I have always grown up listening to him coming home and telling stories about the runs he’s been on and the stuff he sees,” Spargo said. “It kind of sparked an interest in me and I figured I’d be good at it. I think it’d keep my life interesting.”
Women’s basketball head coach Jody Wynn said the personality she’s displayed all four years would be a perfect fit for being a firefighter.
“She’s an awesome friend and a great girl,” Wynn said. ”She’d be a great firefighter because she really cares about others, and I think she’ll fit beautifully into that role.”
“Basketball’s definitely prepared me a lot for once I finally get going with the fire department,” Spargo said. “I think I’ll have a foot up on other girls that aren’t as active as me maybe, so I’m pretty confident in my strength.”
Wynn said basketball has given her the tools to become a fireman: teamwork, dedication, willingness to sacrifice and accountability.
“She’s all in [and] not on the fence,” Wynn said. “She’s a young lady that if she’s in it, she’s going to put her heart and soul in it. I would love for her to defend any fire that I was around.”
With basketball, Spargo’s main objective is easy.
“She wants to win; she plays extremely hard,” Wynn said. “We’ve never had to coach a possession of effort. She’s a competitor.”
Senior guard Alex Sanchez said her actions on the court lead the team more than her words.
“She’s more quiet, but her game says a lot about Spargo,” Sanchez said. “She’s been this quiet Spargo her freshman year to not wanting to be a leader to now she has a voice her senior year, which is really good.”
Off the court, Wynn said her personality is the exact opposite.
“Here’s a kid who showed up with side-ponytails and mismatched socks,” Wynn said. “She’s very carefree. She’s the kid who walks around with Birkenstocks and backwards hats. She’s just very non-traditional.”
Sanchez agreed.
“She’s really goofy,” Sanchez said. “She’s a whole different character [with] her own different style of clothing – she loves to wear her Jesus shoes or sandals.”
Since her freshman year, Sanchez said Spargo has matured more throughout her four years here.
“I’m so proud of Spargo; she’s grown so much,” Sanchez said. “Before she used to be this crazy underclassman that would be out of control because she was so fast, and now she understands having patience is a lot better. She makes smarter decisions, smarter plays because she’s slowed down and matured and has grown her style of play.”
Spargo ranks third in LBSU women’s basketball history in three-point attempts with 422 and fourth in three-pointers made with 122.
“I want to make a mark on the program and make people remember me in a good way,” Spargo said. “I just want to leave here knowing I gave all I could and left it all out on the court. I don’t want to have any regrets.”
Once she becomes a firefighter, she plans to mimic her father’s achievement of being captain, or possibly go higher.
“When I’m in the fire department, I’d definitely like to reach captain [or] maybe Battalion Chief,” Spargo said. “That’s like the top dog. Hopefully I can move up in the ranks pretty quickly.”
The Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) is the first step of many in becoming a firefighter, Spargo said. If accepted, she’ll have to take a written test. The second step would require that she goes through an oral interview. Then the last phase would be to move on to the training tower, which is a building where live fire trainings are conducted.
Despite the long process of getting to where she wants to be, Spargo said her biggest reward is helping others.
“I want to be able to make an effect on people’s lives,” Spargo said. “My dad always tells me 99 percent of the time when you show up to a scene and someone’s hurt or something’s wrong with them, they’re very excited to see you and see that you’re there to help them. That’s a good feeling.”