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My Mural

My Mural

In one of my first year seminar classes, our final project was to create a mural. The course was focused on Mexican Muralism so after spending months analyzing many different murals, we were ready to create our own. I decided to use a few different 

SCALE- Volunteering with the Refugee Women’s Network

SCALE- Volunteering with the Refugee Women’s Network

One of the SUMMIT parts at Agnes Scott, is the sophomore SCALE experience. I spent a week at the Refugee Women’s Network in Atlanta, GA with three other classmates volunteering for this non-profit organization which serves immigrant families from across the globe. We learned about 

My Experience as DIII Student-Athlete

My Experience as DIII Student-Athlete

One of the biggest reasons I chose Agnes Scott was because it gave me the opportunity to be an NCAA Division III basketball athlete. I played sports my whole life so to have the chance to play at the next level was a dream came true. This is my personal two year experience on the basketball team and the valuable lessons I learned along the way.

“Basketball Game” by Emma Olson and is used under the All Rights Reserved license.

I quickly came to realize the demands and balance that came with this experience and how different it would be from high school. From early morning workouts and practices, to travel games that took up the majority of the weekend, and lots of late nights, I had to make sure that I was both maintaining my student integrity as well as my commitment to my team and coaches.

Every athlete has a different idea of what college sports is suppose to look like and what they’re expectations are. It’s hard to know if it will compare to high school and in what ways you’ll have to adapt. I was coming from a very successful high school program, which made it to the playoffs every year, winning our district four years in a row, and with many accolades as a program. I knew that Agnes Scott did not have a very strong program yet so I had a goal to help it progress in that direction. I wanted to be a part of something that was getting stronger, better, and making a name for itself. Little did I know what was ahead, both the good and the hard.

I could talk about the things that didn’t go well or the moments that didn’t feel right to me, but what I’ve taken away from that experience goes far beyond the wins and losses. I was a part of a team with wonderful teammates and coaches who supported me every step of the way. It was a diverse group of caring, funny, tough individuals whom without, I wouldn’t have made it through. We went through an intense two years together, endured a lot of change, but most of all we overcame whatever barriers were put in front of us. It took a lot of self-discipline and perseverance to manage the student-athlete life.

One of the most grueling parts about being a student athlete is the time commitment. Most people don’t realize that it’s more than 2 hours a day. There’s the pre-practice preparation, the 2 hour + practice, the post practice laundry and stretching, and the travel hours. There’s also the coach and team meetings, as well as any other minor planning detail that requires our attention. It is a lot. So how do you find balance? Especially with a rigorous program like Agnes Scott?

For me it was all about planning and taking advantage of empty time. I have work study so when I didn’t have a task to do, I would work on school assignments. In between classes I would often find a quiet space on campus to get some reading done. But I also sometimes used that 15-20 minutes for a nap. Although I’ve never pulled an all nighter, I often fell asleep late trying to finish schoolwork after a practice that ran late and making myself dinner. While it was exhausting, learning how to be efficient with my time and energy, was a life skill I will take with me for the rest of my life.

Being a student-athlete is not a perfect life. It is not easy by any means but there are rewards for the hard work that make it worth it to experience something so special. I grew into a better leader, when I served as the team captain my sophmore year. I learned how to become more direct with my communication, to speak up when things were not right, and to advocate for more support when I needed it. My college basketball experience was not what I expected, and it let me down in many ways, but it also allowed me to find mental grit and willpower to overcome what felt impossibly hard. I will be forever grateful to ASC for giving me the special opportunity to play at that college level and for the people who helped me along the way.

“Basketball Game” by Emma Olson is used under the All Rights Reserved License.

My journey in college sports may be done for now, but basketball will forever be my first true passion- without it I don’t know where I would be today.

Volunteer Nursing in La Paz, Bolivia

Volunteer Nursing in La Paz, Bolivia

On my resume, on my personal statements, on my goal lists, there is one thing that remains the same. That thing is my aspiration to be a travel nurse at some point in my career. Something about the adventure, challenge, and witnessing different cultures creates 

Flexibility During the Pandemic- How I Landed My Easy Event Planning LLC Internship

Flexibility During the Pandemic- How I Landed My Easy Event Planning LLC Internship

Before the pandemic started, I had secured a job as a camp counselor in Evanston, IL where I planned to spend my summer break working and volunteering at a local hospital and research clinic. It was my intention to both earn money and seek out 

My UNICEF Club Experience

My UNICEF Club Experience

When college starts, it’s often very easy for first years to try to get involved with as many clubs as possible. I thought that would be me but I quickly came to realize that with a schedule as busy as mine, that I should invest myself in one or two specific initiatives. So, while scrolling through the tens of emails I received every day as a first year, I saw a post about a secretary position for the UNICEF club. So I emailed my resume to the president of the club and set up an interview. I was still wary of wether or not my hectic schedule as a student athlete would allow me to commit to this position, but the executive board assured me that it would work and they brought me on to the team.

“UNICEF Executive Team 2019-2020” by Emma Olson is used under an All Rights Reserved License.

Within a few weeks I was already involved with planning events, registering and reserving our rooms and props, and engaging with the focuses of that year. Eventually I was promoted to treasurer, which is the position I hold today. But why UNICEF? Was it just some random coincidence and opportunity to be involved in an extracurricular? I might have initially told myself that but I also knew deep down that I wanted my work to have a greater purpose.

Unicef is a well known organization throughout the world. Their mission is to support families, but especially mothers and children who seek a better life. They have programs that work to implement safe water usage, promote better sanitation, and equal access to water sources. They have been involved with the migrant crisis, setting up tents along the Mexican/US border to feed incoming migrants, offer clean clothes, and provide whatever medical help they can. There is a vast scope to the work that UNICEF does and as a member of this club, I have only grown even fonder of their incredible mission. As a future nurse, it is my hope to be working closely with children of different backgrounds, languages, stories, and perspectives. Staying involved with this program has further strengthened that goal and it has reminded me of the vital importance to put the lives of children across the globe, first and foremost.

“Agnes Scott UNICEF club members at the D.C. Conference in March of 2019” is used under an All Rights Reserved License.

In the spring semester of my freshman year, March 2019, we headed on a trip to Washington D.C for the annual national UNICEF conference held for high school and college clubs. It was here that I felt whole-heartedly inspired. We heard a speech from US National Gymnast and Olympic Medalist, Laurie Hernandez, who spoke about her personal experience with UNICEF and the continued partnership they have. We attended breakout rooms that discussed issues from club membership and participation, to leadership and global awareness and how those things should be reflected in a UNICEF club. It was an experience that left us feeling excited, inspired, and most of all eager to continue educating our peers and community about the important work that UNICEF does.

“Sonia Patel, Emma Olson, Samiha Ross, and Lily Nguyen Chip, UNICEF Executive Board 2018-2019” by Emma Olson is used under an All Rights Reserved License.

As if that wasn’t good enough, the people I got to work with, also became some of my very best friends. They have been sources of support, but they have also encouraged me to rise to the challenges, and think creatively about what to do in an unforeseen circumstance. We have organized water walks, game nights, cookie decorating for kids, and social media campaigns that enable us to build partnerships with those around us. I am so grateful for all that it has brought into my life- greater awareness, more compassion, and the motivation to continue giving my time and energy to the things that really matter to me.

Why Child Healthcare?

Why Child Healthcare?

As part of the Peer Impact Leader program at Agnes Scott College, I have decided to focus on a specific social justice issue, child healthcare, which is something that I have had interest in for a long time. Each of us is required to have 

The Difficult Treatment of Pediatric Hypothalamic Obesity Due to a Craniopharyngioma

The Difficult Treatment of Pediatric Hypothalamic Obesity Due to a Craniopharyngioma

As part of my Anatomy and Physiology class, we wrote various research papers and my final one was about pediatric hypothalamic obesity and craniopharyngiomas, a very specific kind of brain tumor. This paper covers an introduction to this topic, the specific medical background to this 

The Food Scene in Chile

The Food Scene in Chile

One of the best parts about my adventures in Chile, was the exposure to the wide variety of foods I tried. Everywhere we went, there was always so many delicious options that it was hard to choose. Here is an overview of my favorite selections from the incredible variety of foods I consumed throughout the trip.

Breakfasts were usually simple, with toast, some sort of tropical fruit, and coffee.

“Breakfast at the Hotel in Santiago, Chile” by Emma Olson is used with permission under an All Rights Reserved License

Since we were out and about for most of the day, exploring different parts of the city, we bought our lunches in small groups at local cafes and restaurants. I often ate with the same group of classmates, and we would always order our aqua fresca’s first, because they were the perfect refresher and never disappointed! Then came the warm empanadas….with melt in your mouth flavors that always left us wanting more.

“Strawberry Agua Fresca- Fresh Pressed Juice” by Emma Olson is used with permission under an All Rights Reserved License
“Chicken and Carmelized Onion Empanada” by Emma Olson is used with permission under an All Rights Reserved License

Our days were always full so we would often remind each other that by the end we would reward our miles of walking with a delicious dinner. We were free to try new restaurants. We often at traditional Chilean meals with appetizers that always included fresh bread and a salsa topping followed by a large meal of beans, meat, plantains, and other veggies.

“Bread Rolls and Tomato Basil Salsa” by Emma Olson is used with permission under an All Rights Reserved License
“Traditional Chilean Dinner” by Emma Olson is used with permission under an All Rights Reserved License

My stomach learned to stretch more than it ever had leading up to this trip, especially when it came to dessert. I was never too full it seemed. I can vividly remember one night when we were getting dinner relatively late, it was somewhere around 8:30pm by the time we were searching for a place to eat. I was walking with a group of 4-5 friends and we got lost trying to find the original spot we were aiming for. So we walked a good 2-3 miles before we finally found a tiny, outdoor patio Italian restaurant. We had been so hungry before we went out but at that point our exhaustion from a long day had kicked in, it was almost 10pm and we only craved dessert. So we shared drinks and tiramisu, manicotti, and chocolate torte, and laughed our hearts out trying not to respond to the flirtatious waiter.

“Italian Desserts” by Emma Olson is used with permission under an All Rights Reserved License

It was one of those nights that became one of the highlights of my trip, especially since we returned a few nights later to consume the divine four cheese gnocchi dish. Those are memories I will always hold dear to my heart both for the food, and the lovely friendships.

The Impact of Exercise on the Memory Function

The Impact of Exercise on the Memory Function

As part of my Anatomy and Physiology class, we wrote various research papers. This one is about exercise and memory function. I have an avid love for physical exercise so it was super interesting to research and gain more knowledge about the benefits of committing