BSCI Student Builds a Future on Horseback

McLaughlin grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and has been riding horses since she was seven years old. While training in Florida during the winter, she and her family became friends with some Alabama residents and were first introduced to Auburn and the university’s equestrian team, which has been named the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Champion seven times in the last 10 years.

Shifting slightly from her industry Showjumping competitions, McLaughlin now competes in Flat and Jumping equestrian events—working with horses to show a particular pattern of movements similar to dressage and navigating a course of fences in head-to-head runs against other athletes, judged both on execution and rider position—at Auburn. She practices every weekday and has competitions most weekends during both Fall and Spring semesters.

The commitment required of collegiate athletics challenges McLaughlin to make the most of her time between 6 a.m. workouts, afternoon riding sessions and her BSCI thesis project. She depends on time management skills and discipline to study and work efficiently—but finding the fun in her coursework makes that easier.

“Our coach always says, ‘Find joy’,” she said. “What helps so much with managing a busy school schedule is finding the things that you like doing.”

Studying at the McWhorter School of Building Science (BSCI) wasn’t happenstance for McLaughlin, but a step towards joining the family business. One day—perhaps after pursuing a master’s degree in business administration or architecture—McLaughlin hopes to join her father and brothers at Terlin Construction, working on projects across retail and international sectors, like Starbucks and Tim Horton’s franchises or embassies in Mali and Nicaragua.

She lauds the BSCI program for its small cohort size that has allowed her to form tight friendships with her classmates and find mentorship with her professors, who often support her at her equestrian meets. Those connections also helped her find her feet as an international student who didn’t know anyone else attending Auburn.

“Charlotte is a talented and dedicated student athlete. She very effectively balances the expectations of being a Division 1 athlete with the rigor of challenging academics,” said Senior Lecturer Drew Yantis. “Charlotte’s commitment to excellence in everything she undertakes will be a key attribute in her future success.”

Through leadership opportunities like Auburn Athletics’ Connect program, McLaughlin mentors freshman athletes and encourages them not to shy away from challenging degree programs, like Building Science.

“It’s worth it if it’s something that you’re passionate about,” she said. “You will truly make the time to work your hardest on both things, if it is something that you find you’re interested in doing.”