Olivia Collins is from West Bend, Iowa, and attended West Bend Ballard High School. She decided where to come to college based on what made her feel the most comfortable and where she could fit in. She looked at all of the smaller, private schools around here, but she felt that Simpson College was the right fit for her, and she loved everything about it. 

Collins is a religion major, with a minor in women and gender studies, but she wasn’t always that. 

She first came to Simpson to major in public relations and minor in religion, but come her junior year here, she had a change of heart.

“I didn’t think that I could be happy with that my whole life,” Collins said. “I didn’t think that that was my best contribution to the world.”

She then went to the Chair of the Religion Department, Maeve Callan, and discussed options to begin majoring in Religion. She then switched her minor to a major and hasn’t looked back since. 

Her plans after graduating are to move in with friends she’s met at Simpson and get a job in grief counseling or mental health work. From there, she will get her master’s in social work.

During college, Collins was active on campus. She is involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) since her first-year, where she has been a faith leader two years in a row. 

Collins has been in Tri Delta since her Spring semester of sophomore year. 

“I couldn’t imagine a better group to spend 90% of my time with,” Collins said. “It’s given me some of the best connections that I think I’ve gotten in college.” 

Collins is on the shooting sports team since her sophomore year, and it has taught her a lot of skills, such as perseverance and goal setting. She also has a work-study position as a student ambassador, which she has held for the past two years.

Collins’ most significant piece of advice for underclassmen is to try new things and get out of their comfort zones. She said that some of the best experiences to have come out of college were by trying something new and seeing if it stuck.

“I think you just have to put yourself in situations and places that you are not always comfortable with to really grow,” she said.

Collins wished she had followed her advice and admitted that she regrets not following it during her first year. 

When asked if she was excited to graduate and what she will miss about Simpson, Collins said she would miss the college environment and being in her sorority house with her sisters the most. Still, she is excited at the prospect to get to learn new things at her own pace instead of having to learn in a classroom setting.