Olivia Sommerer

Class	2023
Pronouns	She/Her/Hers
Hometown	Jupiter, FL

Concentration

Communication, Innovation, and Social Justice

Internship

Rapid Asia in Bangkok, Thailand

Talk a bit about your classes. What projects, subjects, or experiences have had an impact on you? How does that apply to your field?

So far I have taken some phenomenal classes. A few special ones come to mind that I think are worth mentioning:Management/Organizational Behavior taught by Professor Scott Baker made such a lasting impact on my life. It was a class on how to lead people, understand people, and work to successfully create a work environment that helps everyone thrive. Professor Baker taught the class in such an organic way, and the material is so applicable to my job as a supervisor. I use his leadership advice each day and learn how to work with people and make everyone feel appreciated.
New Ventures/Entrepreneurship with Professor Kylie King is so epic. I come to class with a business idea that I’ve had for years, and with the help of Kylie, watch it come to life. In this class, I worked on my wellness company, called Five Wellness, and have a podcast on Spotify. The class gives students the freedom to learn how to explore their business ideas, know what steps are important to take to make it happen, and pitch to real investors to get feedback. If not for this class, I don’t think I could have made plans for my company or have a podcast that I am so proud to produce.

Describe your professors at Champlain. How do your relationships with faculty differ or align with what you expected before you started at Champlain?

I absolutely love most of my professors at Champlain. After joining the Degree Design Lab major, I built a family with my professors and faculty members. Now I have a number of professors that know me very well, help me when needed, and join me for a cup of coffee.

Have you had opportunities to apply what you’ve learned in your major to experiences outside the classroom?

Yes! I was just landed a two-month internship in Bangkok, Thailand, this summer supported by a Freeman Foundation Grant. I will be interning at Rapid Asia, which specializes in sustainable change in Asia. They do work with the United Nations, too. The people I will be working for complimented my degree and were interested in me being an interdisciplinary student. It feels like a fantastic fit.