Lining the walkways, buildings stand tall as trees rustle in the wind, their leaves rolling over the fields of grass on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University (ONU). Students like Caroline Garvin, a senior double majoring in Public Relations and Strategic Communication and Corporate Communications at Olivet, have made Olivet a home. During her four years at ONU, Garvin has also discovered her passion.
“I would love to find a job in the non-profit area of event planning … [with] more meaning behind the work that I am doing,” Garvin said. “I just want to get to do my passion every day.”
Though Garvin is ready to move on to new adventures, she is grateful for her time at ONU, and the experiences that led her to self-discovery.
“I definitely had one of those ‘aha’ moments when I was working Homecoming my sophomore year,” Garvin said. “When I joined the events team here, I really started to realize how much I enjoy the work that we were doing, whether that was putting little treats on every table or things like that. Really just putting together an event in any sort of way. And then I realized that this could be my career.”
Garvin works for the Admissions administration for ONU as an admissions ambassador, helping set up Olivet events, touring prospective students and helping them envision what their life would look like at Olivet.
Garvin also works in Inspired Strategies Agency (ISA), which is ONU’s student-led public relations agency. In ISA, students can collaborate with real-world clients in a professional setting and learn how a PR agency operates. As the student director of ISA, Garvin leads the way, offering support, advice and guidance for account executives as well as assistant account executives.
Additionally, Garvin has spent her four years at ONU as a member of Orpheus Choir, a collegiate group of singers who perform choral music, and for her senior year, has taken on the role of social events coordinator. Not only has she been able to actively participate with her love of music, but she has been able to explore her passion for event planning as well.
Garvin said she loves having the opportunity to lead the choir to be “a big community, and a big family, because that’s what it really is.”
Garvin is so happy she was able to discover her passion and find community, because ONU was more than an education – it is a family tradition.
“My mom and my dad both went [to Olivet], and actually met here, and my grandparents also went [to Olivet] as well,” Garvin said as she spoke about how she came to know Olivet.
After many unofficial visits during reunions or other school events, Garvin took an official visit to campus during high school. After seeing the campus, she knew it would be the place for her.
Now, four years later, Garvin has grown into a leader, ready for the challenges she will face post-grad. Garvin’s roommate, Matea Johnson, has witnessed her growth firsthand over the past two years.
“I see her as a very motivated and driven person,” Johnson said. “She works really hard on everything she does, and she’s a great leader.”
And with graduation on the horizon, Garvin is looking forward to the next steps in her career and personal life.
“I’m very much excited for a regular routine and a regular schedule,” Garvin said.
Garvin, like many other seniors, is excited for the future, but wistful about her time at ONU. Garvin is thankful for all the experiences in the past few years but is excited to see what is to come.
