Graduating Senior Spotlight: Q&A with Olivia Flemmer

What is your favorite college memory?

My favorite college memory is being at the Penn State football game in 2019. That was the first time that I felt deeply connected to the greater UMN community. The excitement of storming the field with my fellow students and Gopher football fans is something that I will always cherish. 

Why is a liberal arts education important to you?

A liberal arts education is essential to me because it showed me the importance of understanding perspectives and experiences that are outside of my own. It provided me the opportunity to understand modern society and the events that brought us to where we are today, as well as allowed me to see what changes need to be made in order to create a more inclusive society for everyone. 

If you could go back and give your first-year self one piece of advice, what would it be?

If I could go back in time and give my younger self advice, I would want to tell her that all the challenges I faced during my time as a student would all be worth it. Losing so much of my undergraduate experience to COVID-19 was challenging. Still, that experience brought me closer to the people around me and gave me time to understand and focus on myself to be the person I always wanted to be. There were times that I wanted to quit, but overcoming those challenges only made me stronger as a person and made all of the good times more special. 

What is your favorite study spot on campus?

My favorite study spot on campus is the outdoor auditorium outside of Ted Mann Concert Hall! It is so quiet and I love being able to work on homework under the sun next to the river! 

What's next for you? What are your post-graduation plans?

My post-graduation plans are to continue to work in addiction recovery and eventually attend graduate school to earn my master's in addiction counseling.