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The younger version of Olivia Flores ‘26 would be very surprised and proud of how much she’s grown during her first two years at �鶹��Ƶ. Originally from Napa, California, Olivia is a sophomore comparative literature major and member of . Learning to embrace spontaneous moments, while still pursuing her long-time goals, has proven to be fruitful for her college experience.  

Olivia was set on her major, even before arriving on campus. She says, “The comparative literature department was part of the reason that I was drawn to �鶹��Ƶ. I read so many similar types of works in high school that I really wanted to branch out. The intro class solidified that this is what I want to do: examining different languages, literature, and translations and seeing how they work together or against each other. The declaring process went very smoothly for me, and I’ve been able to add on additional things that I didn’t know that I was capable of taking on.”  

She plans to declare a minor in French and Francophone studies with hopes of studying abroad in France next year. But a lot of the theory requirements for her major also double as requirements for the film studies minor, which she’s intrigued by too. And taking courses with professors who are so passionate about their research, like Dr. Jennifer Harford Vargas’s class on Cultural Memory and State-Sanctioned Violence in Latinx Literature, has piqued Olivia’s interest in Latin American, Iberian, and Latina/o Studies.  

The opportunities keep surprising Olivia, as she describes how she ended up joining a capella on a whim. “On club day, Emma spotted me just looking at the a capella tables in general and shouted, ‘You look like someone who should come and audition!’ Auditioning for Night Owls a capella was such a spontaneous thing that I did not factor into my vision for “College Olivia,” yet it has played such a big role in who I have been here.” 

With the Night Owls, Olivia has been able to tour nearby cities with other collegiate a capella groups. Last spring, they met up with singers from Princeton, Columbia, and Barnard and performed alongside them. Now in leadership positions for Night Owls, Olivia’s goal is to grow and foster these relationships within the group and with other colleges by putting forth good energy. She describes, “With Night Owls this year, I have felt myself become so much more confident. Last year during performances, I was a swayer while everybody else was really enthusiastic and dancing around. This year, I want to set an example of what Night Owls is to the new members, so I have been dancing more and people within the group have said to me ‘Where has this energy been? I feel like I'm seeing the real Olivia.’” 

The energy has always been within Olivia, it just took the right people to help her tap into it. She attributes a lot of her personal growth to the bonds she’s made with her peers. Olivia says, “Making friendships was my biggest worry. Plus coming out here and not having my family as my usual support system was something I was super scared about. But the people at �鶹��Ƶ are so genuine and really care about you. Everybody that I’ve met has just been so kind. I’ve been able to be more myself and take up the space that I’m allowed to and want to take up. I have a second family here that is just going to love and accept me. Even my parents see it too; they tell me ‘You just look so happy.’ It's been a big confidence booster knowing that I can just be myself. There are so many different interests and parts of yourself you'll find at �鶹��Ƶ that you don't even know exist yet."