Sophomore Emily Keeler already feels like a different person after just three semesters at The University of Olivet. She says she’s a more confident and outgoing version of her past self, with strong professional and personal goals. Emily is a member of the volleyball team and a sports psychology major, and she has great relationships with her teammates, coach and professors.
Hear more about Emily’s college journey firsthand.
My hometown, Springport, is probably smaller than Olivet. It has one single red flashing light and one main street with only about eight buildings on it. Since my high school was so small, I had good interactions with all the teachers and knew almost everybody there. So, I choose Olivet because of its small size and the close relationships you can get with your professors. Plus, it gave me the opportunity to continue my athletic career.
I choose sports psychology as my major because I have always enjoyed talking to athletes about issues like struggling with confidence, mental toughness, mindfulness and even goal setting. As an athlete myself, I have struggled with similar problems and wanted someone that had a degree in those areas to help me overcome them. I also know that in this world athletes have so much pressure added onto them, and I want to help combat that. I am extremely passionate about this field of study because I have always been interested in sports and helping others, and this field combines them together. Once I get my degree, I plan to become a sports mental performance consultant or a mental skills coach, which helps not only athletes but other individuals with their problems. In addition, I am minoring in coaching, which I believe can help me be a more influential professional combined with sports psychology.
I am also a part of the women’s volleyball team at Olivet. I joined the team because I always dreamed of playing volleyball after high school and Olivet gave me that opportunity. My overall experience the past two years has been amazing. The team has great chemistry and we all become best friends during the season. We travel out of state almost every weekend during the season for tournaments, which is super fun because we get even closer to each other and make fun memoires on the bus rides.
Outside of volleyball, I have had other amazing experiences at Olivet as well. On one Wednesday every semester, we have a college-wide Service Day where we come together to make campus a better place. Some Service Day activities include picking up trash, weeding gardens, washing tombstones in the Olivet cemetery and tree trimming. It’s a very good experience because it brings us closer to the community. Other experiences that have made my time at Olivet even better are all the fun events planned at Cutler and the Kirk Center. These events include Midnight Breakfast, March Madness and many games that are played at the sports complex. These opportunities have made me grow into a more open person who gets to meet new people, even though I’m a shy person to begin with.
Being a Comet for only two years has changed me into a new person. I have more confidence in doing things that would have made me uncomfortable in the past, and my communication skills have improved tremendously with getting to know new people. Nobody at Olivet makes you feel left out. Being on a small campus, you meet a lot of new people, and the best part is that you see them all the time so your relationship is always growing. Also, being at Olivet has made me open my eyes to what others experience and how they view the world. Within my major, I have gained a lot of knowledge on what is offered and have been able to plan for my future.
I encourage high school students to attend Olivet because of the environment on campus. There is a diverse culture at Olivet which makes it a great place to learn new things. Everybody is welcoming and accepting. The smaller school atmosphere gives students the ability to have close relationships with not only other students, but also the faculty. Olivet has many different options for degrees, and the classes are all enjoyable and the professors are extremely knowledgeable about the courses. Another thing that separates Olivet from other colleges are the options to explore potential career paths for undecided students. There are so many different courses available and professors who help you discover the direction you want to take.
Learn more about The University of Olivet by contacting the Office of Admission at 800-456-7189 or admissions@uolivet.edu.