06/11/2026
There is something magical about returning to the Hill. 🖤💛
I recently visited St. Olaf College with my two college besties to check out the campus updates, and being there reminded me of why this Ole community is so incredibly special.
My path to St. Olaf wasn’t traditional. After a dismal first year at a massive university, I took a gap year to pause, think, and travel; including assisting on a medical mission to Haiti. That time outside my comfort zone changed me. When I finally landed at St. Olaf, I was actually on academic probation. But what followed was a profound transformation.
The Ole community met me exactly where I was. Classes broadened my perspectives, taught me how to question the world, and fostered a lifelong love of learning, writing, and teaching. I was given the grace to grow and the opportunity to partake in incredible journeys to places as far as Australia.
St. Olaf taught me that getting outside of ourselves and stepping beyond our micro-communities has a profound impact, not just on who we are, but on how we impact others. That very idea is the heartbeat of my travel philosophy today.
Seeing the campus vibrant and updated made me wish I could go back and do it all over again! I’m forever grateful for the tight, global community that nurtured a young woman who just needed a different window to see the world through.
