Misconception: Small colleges are often viewed as having few opportunities because of insufficient size.
Fact: There is nothing that prevents The University of Olivet from providing students with numerous opportunities to get involved in the things they love. Actually, the intimate setting of OC allows participation options to be more accessible and attainable to students. Many of them even come with scholarships!
Danny Does It All
Danny Neugent (pictured right) of East Lansing is taking advantage of many of the opportunities Olivet offers. He is a resident advisor, the station manager of WOCR and is traveling to Orlando, Fla., for an internship at Disney World this fall. In addition, he is assistant coach of men’s basketball at Lansing Catholic High School. Danny has his sights set on coaching college basketball in the future. On top of everything else, he is double majoring in marketing and graphic design. Danny is used to getting looks of awe when he explains “what he’s been up to during college,” but to him, it all makes perfect sense.
Hard Work = Success
After graduating high school, Danny, now a junior, took the plunge to enroll at Olivet. Attending college close to home was one motive, but Olivet also offers a variety of programs and sports teams that provide the perfectly balanced campus life to Danny. He is receiving the Community Connection Grant and his girlfriend, Senior Cassie Brown, is also attending Olivet, which were two more incentives for Danny to attend as well. He said he’s not afraid of a hefty work load because hard work is required to be successful. “Double majoring isn’t a burden, it’s creating a competitive edge for yourself,” Danny explained. He has been interested in graphic design since high school and thinks it is a fascinating field of study as well as a skill not many other people are trained in. Danny hopes that studying graphic design will bring out his creative side and make him a better coach in the long run. Whether recruiting players or branding himself as an artist, Danny knows that marketing will be very beneficial to him in his future, as well.
Take Advantage of Every Opportunity
During his sophomore year, Danny catapulted into campus life. He was interested in becoming more involved on campus and applied for a position as an R.A. in Blair Hall. Beyond that, he became involved with WOCR, eventually applying for the position as station manager. “Take advantage of every opportunity,” Danny said. “That’s what I’m doing. I want to make the most of my college experience, not only by immersing myself and enjoying the journey, but I want to take this time to prepare myself for the future.” When an opportunity came to intern at Disney World, Danny had to take a whirl at it. With around 50,000 applicants and 4,000 positions, he knew it was a long shot.
Innovation and Creativity Set You Apart
After an extensive online application and a short phone interview, Danny landed the internship. It will last from August to January, meaning he will have to leave many other responsibilities behind. Danny plans to manage the radio station from afar and has hired a team to help him do so. He will be taking a semester off of his R.A. duties but will resume in the spring. So what does Disney World have to do with coaching college basketball? Danny receives this question a lot and has a perfectly rehearsed answer. “Disney teaches creation and innovation. Their mission is to be the best at what they do, and that’s not so different from coaching basketball,” said Danny. “Coaches have to craft never-before-seen plays and bring the best out of players. That’s definitely creative and innovative.”
Gain Experience
Danny is a friendly face on campus and he’s happy to help other students along their educational journey. “A degree is only an entry ticket, the other piece of paper that really matters is your resume,” Danny said. Or in his case, 8.5 x 11 isn’t quite enough to hold all the details of his experience and he’s had to upgrade to two pages. “Classes are only the starting point, the real route to education is through experience. Olivet is a small pond and every fish here is the same size, it means that opportunities are available for everyone and each student only has to take advantage of their surroundings.”
Consider Olivet for Yourself
As Danny said, The University of Olivet can provide a resume enhancing experience for everyone. If you are interested in learning more, schedule a visit or apply now.