ABOUT OLIVIA
- From Erie, PA
- Member of the Class of 2027
- Majoring in Speech Pathology and Audiology
- Tour guide
- Conversation partner in the English as a Second Language program
Olivia's three words that describe Kent State: Family, Friendly, Care
TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT AT KENT STATE!
I am an outgoing, academic-minded student in the Honors College. My experience at Kent State has helped me to grow into myself more. I've become more independent and have learned to rely on my peers and friends. The Exploratory program also helped me narrow down my interests and choose a major.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE KENT STATE?
I chose Kent State because of the potential I could see for myself, and it's been one of the best decisions I've made. It took me a while to decide, partly because I had planned to stay local after graduating high school and hadn't seriously considered moving away for college. I was also undecided on what to study, so I wasn't necessarily drawn or anchored to schools that had my program. After touring Kent, I think my mom knew before I did, but I had decided. As the oldest of three, I'm the first of the kids to go to college, and I chose to go away to school, too, even though there are a lot of colleges within a half hour of Erie. My dad assumed I would stay local and go to Penn State like he did, so being the first to go away — and the first daughter to leave — he had his reservations. But after he came for a visit and I applied for scholarships to help with the out-of-state costs, everyone was on board.
WHEN DID KENT STATE START TO FEEL LIKE HOME?
I think during my second semester I referred to Kent State as "home" in front of my family over a break or long weekend. I started to find my community and my people as early as my first few months, where we initially met that previous summer on the ZeeMee app. It was really exciting for me to look at other incoming students based off of our shared interests and majors, and it helped with my anxiety of starting college soon by "making friends" online with the hopes of them transferring to real life after the year started.
WHAT'S A COOL LEARNING EXPERIENCE YOU'VE HAD?
I am a conversation partner with the English as a Second Language program, which matches you up with an ESL student for the semester for a weekly meetup with different prompts and conversation starters. Since my first year, I have made friends with Kenzie (Duong) from Vietnam, who is looking to pursue a degree within healthcare, Wayne (Weihui) from China who is studying computer science and Kripa from Nepal who is a nursing student. Outside of the program, I've also made friends from Uzbekistan and Bangladesh, and it's been a really great to learn about other cultures and expand upon my conversation skills by interacting with people from different backgrounds.
WHO HAS MADE YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE SPECIAL?
Did not answer.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY?
My favorite memory from my time at Kent State would be the Fall Fest during my first year. It is the unofficial birthday of some of my friendships because we all got really close that day.
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS, POST-GRADUATION?
I plan to become a doctor of audiology, which couldn't be more perfect because we have a speech and hearing clinic on campus and have a graduate program, so I wouldn't have to look at other institutions after graduation to continue my education.
WHY SHOULD OTHER STUDENTS CHOOSE KENT STATE?
Did not answer.