“The community you build with fellow students within the department is also extremely supportive and you make real connections.”
As a Biology and Biology Education double major, Olivia has spent much of her time at Gustavus in the Biology department. She describes the department as incredibly welcoming, with professors and fellow classmates always being there to provide support.
She has appreciated the community that she has built with her classmates within the Biology department, as well as the resources that the department makes available for students to receive help, such as student tutors and faculty office hours.
Another aspect of the Biology Department that Olivia has particularly enjoyed is opportunities to do hands-on learning outside of the classroom. Through one of her Biology classes, she enjoyed traveling to Missouri to identify plants at state parks. Additionally, she was able to study abroad in Bolivia in a program that focused on climate change and speak to experts about how it is impacting communities there.
Olivia has greatly appreciated all of the faculty within the Biology department, who have been extremely supportive and have encouraged her to pursue every opportunity that comes her way, saying “Many of them have even encouraged me to apply for opportunities that I never would have even considered if they did not push me to pursue them.”
She also enjoys faculty’s efforts to apply course material to student’s future careers, by sending resources or allowing students to adjust projects to their own interests and futures. As a result, Olivia feels better prepared for a future in Biology Education.
Outside of the department, she is involved in Club Tennis, Building Bridges, Students for Reproductive Freedom, Student Educators Association, and Gustavus Wind Symphony.