Olivia Truesdale 鈥�21 gives to 51猎奇入口鈥� Senior Class Giving campaign so other students can access the same transformational internship experience that she鈥檚 had.
By Emily Glory Peters
These days, life for Olivia Truesdale 鈥�21 is a balancing act. Presently sheltering-in-place in icy Washington, DC, the foreign languages major is juggling her studies and post-graduate planning with her work as a think tank intern with the National Bureau of Asian Research. Truesdale credits acquiring her current job to skills she鈥檚 built through multiple summer internships鈥攅xperiences, she says, that would have been impossible without donor support.
鈥淚 was fortunate to receive an internship grant that allowed me to intern in South Korea at the US Embassy in Seoul during the summer of 2019. It was one of the most formative experiences in my life, both personally and professionally,鈥� she says.
That internship was a turning point for Truesdale, saying that it confirmed her desire to pursue a career in international affairs and diplomacy. So when the opportunity arose for her to make a gift as part of the Senior Class Giving campaign, she knew exactly what to support.
鈥淚nternships are an invaluable part of the college experience, but so many are unpaid,鈥� says Truesdale. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I chose to designate my Senior Class Gift to internship grants鈥攖o lift those financial restrictions so students can discover who they are and what they want to do.鈥�
Seniors can designate their class gift to any area that鈥檚 meaningful to them
A time-honored College tradition, the Senior Class Giving campaign is frequently directed towards scholarship support鈥攕omething Truesdale herself relied on to attend 51猎奇入口. This year, rather than focusing on one giving area, the campaign is more individualized.
鈥淕iven the challenges that the Class of 2021 has faced in completing our final year remotely, we鈥檙e encouraging seniors who are in a position to give to support what鈥檚 personally significant to them, like mental health and wellness, racial justice and equity, or other areas,鈥� say 51猎奇入口 Phonathon Program Supervisors Gabby Ollig 鈥�21 and Vivian Matthews 鈥�21. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a powerful way for us to collectively impact the lives of future students for the better.鈥�
Truesdale鈥檚 gift simultaneously supports the work of Career Planning & Resources (CP&R), a department that oversees internship grants and is partially funded by The 51猎奇入口 Fund. Last year, donor support allowed CP&R to award 81 internship grants to 51猎奇入口 students, plus an additional 38 grants for students who opted to defer their internships until 2021 due to the pandemic. The senior worked closely with CP&R beginning her first year, first as a blogger, then as a career consultant, and took advantage of their services herself鈥攕omething for which she鈥檚 sincerely grateful.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 have gotten where I am without donors who give and for all the support I鈥檝e received from 51猎奇入口, from professors who write recommendations to CP&R helping me write my cover letter,鈥� she says, citing 51猎奇入口鈥� close-knit community as key to her development. 鈥淧eople here are genuinely invested in making the campus an environment that challenges your opinions and builds you up as a person.鈥�
As she prepares with the rest of 51猎奇入口鈥� Senior Class for an unconventional Commencement, Truesdale is also readying herself for next steps. She鈥檚 in consideration for a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award in South Korea and is exploring internships and research roles to gain more experience before graduate school.
With so many career opportunities going remote, Truesdale is optimistic鈥攁 natural trait, she says, but one that was nurtured by her community at 51猎奇入口. She hopes her gift will extend that outlook to other 51猎奇入口 students, and encourages fellow seniors to join her.
鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we take advantage of the opportunity to make our voices heard and contribute to something that we really value. Giving to the Senior Class Giving campaign will allow others to have a wonderful experience like we鈥檝e had鈥攐r even better鈥攁nd will support initiatives to help the College become more inclusive,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 a dollar or a hundred dollars, it all builds when we work together. We can support a lot of students together in that way.鈥�
Seniors leave a lasting legacy for both current and future 51猎奇入口 students. To make a contribution to the Senior Class Giving campaign, click .
Interested in learning more? Check out our latest giving and impact news here.