Olivia Williams

Olivia (she/her) is the Program Associate for the IR Program! She spoke with us about her role, her favorite part of the job, advice for students, her hobbies, and more!

Can you tell us about your role within the IR program?

I’m a program associate, which means I do a bit of everything. I help with finance, work with Stephen on student services, assist with course scheduling, and do a lot of event planning. I handle things like reaching out to speakers and coordinating logistics like catering. For example, I reached out to Juliet Johnson for her talk a few weeks ago. We’ve been lucky this year to secure enough funds for multiple events, which has been great.

What’s your favorite part of the job? 

Honestly, I love everything. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do after college, especially since I went to school during COVID. This job was a new opportunity with no clear expectations, so I just went with it. I enjoy event planning and interacting with students, and it’s great being on a college campus. I’m also an IR major myself, so I find the events super interesting.

Of all the events you’ve helped plan, which one stands out the most? What are you looking forward to this spring?

Ann-Marie, a human rights attorney, gave a talk that was really impactful. She’s doing such meaningful work, which resonated with me because I want to feel like I’m making a positive impact too. In the spring, I’m excited for the ice cream social and commencement. The ice cream social is always fun when the weather warms up, and commencement is special because I love seeing students graduate and celebrating with their families.

Do you have any advice for current IR students, especially those nearing graduation?

Take advantage of everything offered at school. Talk to people, attend events, and make connections. It’s normal not to know exactly what you want to do after graduation. When I was applying for jobs, I didn’t have a clear direction, but the more I learned and interacted with people, the clearer things became. Even if you take a job that doesn’t seem perfect at first, it’s still valuable experience. Opportunities will open up in unexpected ways.

Any hobbies outside of work?

I am one of the Assistant Coaches for the Varsity Women's Basketball Team at Mills High School. That takes up a lot of my spare time. Other than that, I love going to the beach, traveling and watching reality tv!