In South Africa on family's farmland, standing in the bed of where the Molopo River runs when it has enough water to flow.
Another South African landscape
About Me
Hi, I'm Olivia!
I was born in Memphis Tennessee, raised in Wichita, Kansas, but most recently I have lived in Fayetteville, Georgia, just south of Atlanta. As the eldest daughter of an American father and South African mother, my cultural identity has profoundly shaped my life.
Being so far from half of my family is challenging, but my visits remind me of the value of time with loved ones and have helped me appreciate many things I am guilty of taking for granted here in the United States. In South Africa, unlike most of the US, water and electricity are commodities affected almost daily from both natural causes and the government management of these resources. However, I have also witnessed first-hand the deep need in some communities domestically, and my passion for the communities I have interacted with in the US is just as great as it is for my friends and family overseas. Many communities here in the US are overlooked, and it is easy to forget the many communities here that also do not have reliable access to clean water. These first-hand experiences have emphasized my recognition of the importance of working to ensure accessibility to these resources.
Here at Auburn, I have fueled my passion for helping local communities through my involvement with the Honors College Week of Service program (where I have served as a participant in the program, a counselor, and head counselor) and the domestic team of Auburn's chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
I chose Biosystems Engineering because I realized that it was the perfect major to combine my desire to help others, my passion for sustainability and the environment, and my love of engineering solutions to problems. I declared a minor in Sustainability Studies to supplement my engineering education with additional knowledge focused on policy and social impacts of the solutions I one day hope to create. Ultimately in my career, I hope to help the environment, help people, and help people help the environment!
To learn more about the projects I have done and the organizations I am involved in to pursue these goals, follow this link to my "Academics" page!