Student Features

Olivet College is home to undergraduate and graduate students alike. Our MBA program is designed for adult learners who wish to continue their education while taking advantage of a 100% online program. Emily Lash is one such student. Graduating in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing communications and advertising, Emily knew she would someday…

One benefit of attending a small college is that it enables students to get to know each other and the staff and faculty well. If you want to get to know people, you will. One unique way students connect is through overnight service trips. Each semester students have an opportunity to volunteer on several service…

Olivet College has one of the country’s top insurance and risk management programs. The expertise of the director of the program Tom Humphreys, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, CIC, assistant professor of insurance and risk management, is what allows this program to flourish. One of the classes offered in the major is a global-learning trip during Olivet…

  Rising junior Benjamin Porter is a media production and communication major from Kalkaska, Michigan. He’s a member of the football team and a recent graduate of the President’s Leadership Institute. Olivet College’s similarity to his hometown gave Ben the confidence to thrive at college. As he continues to grow and develop during his college career,…

Olivet College campus in the summer is peaceful and calm. Our beloved squirrels run wild, the trees grace the square with shade and flowers abound. It’s quiet. It’s beautiful. Despite the quiet, a lively student population remains on campus throughout the summer.   Rising senior Destinee Hawkins is one such student. “Campus is nice in the…

Rising sophomore Liberty Tetzlaff is a sports psychology major from Middleville, Michigan. Fueled by passion, community, and close relationships with others, Liberty has been able to find her home at Olivet College. When she discovered Olivet College, it was as close to home as she had seen. “Olivet College has an environment where everyone knows…

Not all college experiences are linear and smooth. Sometimes it takes a little bit to find a fit that works for you. This is what Julia Mellinger, who is studying media production and communication and fitness management, discovered when she started college at a large university. It did not feel like the right place for…

After graduating top of her high school class, London Eldridge completed her first year at Olivet College as a biology major with a minor in biochemistry.  London first heard about Olivet College through a friend and decided to check it out. It turned out to be a perfect fit. She was drawn to Olivet’s size…

Olivet College tends to be pretty quiet in the summer, but senior Sarah Lafoe, hailing from Southern California, is one student who enjoys the peace and calm. With the current prices of travel, Sarah thought it best to stay close to campus. The decision to stay was made easier by her many friends who are…

It is no secret that one of Olivet College’s greatest charms is its small, close-knit community, and this is what drew Chase Mendham to the college. Growing up in Coopersville, a small town north of Grand Rapids, Chase felt right at home in Olivet. He is now an insurance and risk management major going into…

Jill Post is a graduating senior studying visual art. Growing up in a small town, Jill was ready for the small size of Olivet. Although she is an art student, the music program is what stole her heart when she first discovered Olivet College. In 2017, she had a visit with the honors band. Before this,…

Kaylee Richardson ’22 is a born and raised Olivetian. Olivet College was a clear choice for her because of its accounting program and the opportunity to continue in athletics. Her proximity to the school made the decision even easier, and she commuted her first two years as a student. However, by the time her junior…

  Here at Olivet College, there is no cookie-cutter path to graduation. Everyone’s journey is a little different and customizable to their interests and goals. Kennedy Ellis discovered this early in her time with Olivet College when she decided on an independent major in sustainable agriculture. She has a specific career goal in mind. “After graduating…

Senior Chad Enwright is a business administration major with a double concentration in management and marketing, and he is from Melbourne, Ontario. Chad is a part of many things on Olivet’s campus, including Residence Life, Student Engagement, Phi Beta Lambda, Mu Omega Pi, service learning, the President’s Leadership Institute, the Global Center for Entrepreneurs and…

For spring break 2022, a group of 20 Olivet College students traveled to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for a week-long service trip led by Jacob Richards ’18, community service coordinator and director of the Difference Maker Program, and Mike Fales, director of service learning and campus ministries and assistant professor of interdisciplinary studies and religion. Students who…

[caption id="attachment_54358" align="alignright" width="214"] Matt Hewitt[/caption] During a recent college break, a group of nine Olivet College students traveled to Antigua for the business course called Global Marketing Perspectives. The travel learning experience allows students to immerse themselves in the Caribbean culture of marketing and international business, as well as deliver toys to children hospitalized…

[caption id="attachment_54153" align="alignright" width="300"] Savannah Baker[/caption] Olivet College’s student-led literary and visual arts magazine, The Garfield Lake Review “The Garf,” has been printed since 1971. The Garfield Lake Review submission period is open in the fall of each academic year to poetry, fiction, non-fiction, art and other forms of original work. The Garfield Lake Review…

Senior Seth Young, an exercise science major from Jonesville, Michigan, has spent his last four years making Olivet College his home as he pursued his passion and prepared for a career his family knows well. Seth is seeking a profession in chiropractic therapy, just as his grandfather had successfully done for over half a century.…

Olivet College’s student-led newspaper, “The Echo,” has been providing the community of Olivet with news since 1888. The publication of The Echo transitioned to being completely online in the spring of 2020. The paper is currently run by Faculty Adviser Joanne Williams, Editor-in-Chief Bray Wright and Copy Editor Matthew Rice. Bray said that she decided…

Olivet College annually hosts the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholars Essay Contest. Students are invited to submit a 500-maximum-word essay under a theme relating to diversity, equity and inclusion and a value or quote from Martin Luther King Jr. This year, students were prompted with King’s quote, “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” They…