Olivia Diericks

Meet Olivia Diericks, a U of I junior majoring in Political Science. She first learned about the opportunity through an academic advisor, and Olivia wanted to participate in the culture of experiential learning at Illinois and gain practical skills outside the classroom. She is currently completing her first semester as a communications intern with the Community Service Center of Northern Champaign County. During the internship, Olivia is mainly working on designing the first spring newsletter, circulating information about upcoming events on their social media pages, and creating graphics for various fundraisers and social gatherings. Through her position, Olivia gained technical skills in using graphic design software, such as Canva, as well as web design knowledge by using WordPress on various occasions. She also sharpened her soft skills, including communication, networking, and professionalism, which helped her to choose appropriate tones and communication styles while communicating with different people in the workplace. What Olivia learned most from her internship is that the best way to learn workplace conduct is to dive right into a professional environment, and there were always supervisors who were willing to guide you. Looking ahead, Olivia plans to serve in AmeriCorps for one year after graduation before she pursues a master's degree in Library Science here at the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign. A fun fact about Olivia is that her favorite movie is Little Miss Sunshine and her favorite show is Community!