What is your preferred name and major(s) and minor(s)?
My preferred name is Olivia and my major is social work.
What are some of the jobs you held at McDaniel?
All 4 years at McDaniel I have been a student ambassador. The first year I mainly was a lunch host and class escort so I would meet prospective students on visits and walk them around. The past three years I have been a tour guide so I give tours of the campus several times a week and do anything and everything for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions here. I am also going to be continuing this job through the summer after I graduate.
What organizations were you part of at McDaniel?
I have been a part of concert choir, gospel choir, Intervarsity, Student Alumni Council, Social Work
Advocacy Group, and Phi Alpha National Social Work Honors Society some time over my 4 years.
How much did you enjoy your time at McDaniel?
I very much enjoyed McDaniel. I would definitely do it over again if I could and still chose McDaniel because of the amazing friends I’ve made, the relationships with my professors, and the social work department.
Who do you think is/was your best mentor(s)?
My best mentors have been the social work professors here. In particular, Cathy Orzolek-Kronner.
What were some of the challenges you encountered and how did you overcome them?
In my freshman year I became really sick and had to miss a good amount of classes and my grades suffered. That hardship hurt my GPA and it has been very hard to bring it up, even though I get really good grades. I have worked really hard since then to bring that up.
What are your plans for after graduation?
I am going to be attending the University Of Maryland School Of Social Work in the Advanced Standing program and interning at Johns Hopkins Bayview on the Surgical and Orthopedic units.
What advice can you give to those not graduating?
The advice I would have for students who are not yet graduating is to not be afraid to “look stupid” or be vulnerable, to take risks and be bold, and to soak everything up like a sponge!
