Olivia Bertelsen
Name: Olivia Bertelsen
Hometown: Rock City, Ill.
Year in School: Senior (!!!!!)
Major: Marine Science
In many of the #CCUfamily student profiles over the course of the 2017-18 academic year, we featured students who arrived on campus reserved and shy. They didn’t know the exact direction they were headed nor how to successfully get involved on campus. Because of their own will and Coastal’s natural charm, these students eventually “came out of their shell” and blossomed.
We are ending the semester with a different type of student.
When Olivia Bertelsen stepped on campus, she needed no warming up period. In fact, this student was so pumped to start her undergraduate career that she had already participated in a CCU social media campaign before even attending her first class. Olivia brought purpose and energy with her, never letting that intensity subside during her time at Coastal.
From the first day, Olivia knew she wanted to major in marine science. She knew she wanted to make lifelong friends. She knew she wanted to develop valuable connections with professors. Most importantly, she knew she truly wanted to experience Coastal. No question about it, she achieved all objectives.
Whether it was studying abroad in Scotland, playing on the CCU Quidditch team, working on-campus jobs, hitting up local music venues or hopping in the car for road trips, Olivia took advantage of her University and the area around her. While having the time of her life, she learned a thing or two along the way.
“CCU allowed me to learn about myself,” Olivia says. “I had to move 1,100 miles away from home to come here so it really taught me to be independent and fend for myself; basically grow up.”
Her appreciation for Coastal doesn’t stop there. As mentioned above, and attested to by Olivia her freshman year, she wanted to build relationships with her professors. With this goal already set forth, perhaps it came as no surprise that a dedicated individual like Olivia easily made meaningful connections with a group of men and women eager to see their students succeed.
“Everybody at Coastal, especially faculty and staff, is super dedicated to their students and making the University the best it can be.”
On Saturday, it will be Olivia’s time to shine. When she walks across the HTC Center stage and President DeCenzo hands her a diploma, she will become the first member of her immediate family to graduate from college. It doesn’t get much better than that.
As she moves past CCU, Olivia’s plan is to become a commissioned officer with the United States Coast Guard via the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Corps. The NOAA is a branch of the Coast Guard and would require Olivia to directly use her marine science degree while on the job. It would be a fulfilling reward for a student who has made her family extremely proud and demonstrated to her peers how to truly make the most out of a college experience. Olivia, you are a special Chanticleer and we will miss you.