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It's difficult to believe that the poised and well-spoken young woman sitting across from you at the family dining table has just turned 19. Lauren Caster's confidence and manner cloak her chronological age. Her maturity perhaps explains why Caster, who lives with her parents on SPCA property just off Highway 68, has had some remarkable experiences over the past year.

After she completed her high school education, Caster deferred attending college for a year so she could spend two months hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Then she spent three months living and trekking in the mountains of Bolivia and Peru.