BY: DOROTHY HAZAN '16
This week’s Volunteer of the Week is Olivia Britton ’18.
Originally from New Hempstead, N.Y., she is pursuing a double major in political science and psychology.
On campus, Britton is active in Amnesty International, Black Student Union, Messa House Council, Ballroom Dancing and Catholic Student Association. She is a leader in Girls Inc., a mentoring program where Olivia serves as a positive role model and a source of leadership for young girls in the Schenectady community.
She recently interned with Q-Q Research Consultants, a Florida-based consulting firm that provides research and program evaluation services. While at the firm, Olivia conducted research on the Haitian education system. She even accompanied the firm to Haiti, where she was able to carry out observational research and capture the lives and untold stories of the Haitian people through photography.
"This was both a humbling and memorable experience," said Olivia. "Being half-Haitian, I was able to pay homage to the land of my mother and my ancestors."
After this meaningful internship, Olivia continued her research through an independent-study at Union, defining and analyzing the social, economic, political and other factors that affect Haiti’s education system. Her work so far has inspired her to pursue a future career in capacity-building and leadership development in underserved nations like Haiti.