Campus celebrity? Enter Olivia Bello. Casually dressed, a natural beauty. You can hardly tell by her down-to-earth, humble ambiance that she basically runs everything that is Agnes Scott College. Though she is busy mastering her senior year with a major in biology and a dance minor, she also manages being both a Senior Resident Assistant and one of the friendliest faces on campus!
What are you involved with on campus? What does that entail?
I am very active on campus, I work as an SRA (Senior Resident Assistant) in a first year hall. It’s a paid position in Residence Life, and I oversee a staff of four RA’s and look after a building of over 100 residents. We put on hall events, programs and the like. I’ve been working in ResLife for three years now and absolutely love my ResLife family! I also work as a biology tutor for intro bio classes in the campus science learning center; we hold tutoring hours as well as workshops to go over the big key concepts as well as review test material and discuss study tips. This will be my fourth year giving tours for Tower Council, the student lead tour group run by admissions. I have no idea how I started doing this as a first year, but I absolutely love showing off the campus to prospective students and their families! I serve as president for the Interfaith Cooperative on campus which acts as a council for all faith based organizations on campus. We partner with other organizations to help better the community and bring understanding and respect for all religious and non-religious groups. We’re super inclusive and are community service based. I’m also a big science nerd and serve as the vice president of Tri-Beta, the Agnes Scott chapter of the National Biology Honors Society. We host mixers with the biology faculty each semester, take group outings to local science museums, host movie nights on campus and so on. I’ve also been serving as a student member on the board of trustees; I sit on the Buildings and Grounds committee. My main job is to attend each meeting and let the student body know what’s going on. Right now, the committee is working hard on our newest renovation, Campbell Hall, which will offer suite style housing and new academic space on campus.
What are you studying?
I am majoring in biology and minoring in dance.
What do you do for fun?
I really love hanging out with friends. The friendships I’ve built over the past three years really mean a lot to me, so quality time with these people is something I really value. I love catching an IMAX movie at Fernbank, trying new restaurants in Atlanta because I’m a total foodie, hanging out around the Decatur Square, going out dancing, shopping for new outfits, taking mini road/day trips now that I have a car on campus and dropping in for various fitness classes. Right now I’m loving pure barre, yoga and pilates.
How do you balance studies, campus involvement, and a social life?
I plan like crazy. I am in love with iCal and reminders, I color code my calendar and set aside time to input my latest meetings, assignments and girls nights. I use my calendar for the big blocks of time and big academic due dates such as classes, exams, meetings, work hours and lunch dates, and I use my reminders app for daily tasks. Specific daily tasks, I split up into different to-do lists (each one is labeled with a day of the week) and then I add in details for tasks that day such as studying ecology chapter 4 for three hours in the library. I love that I can check things off on the reminders app, it makes me feel really productive! It took me a while to develop this system, but I love it because both of these apps sync with my computer, tablet and phone, so I am never without my calendar and agenda.
What is your favorite thing about attending ASC?
I love the community. We cultivate a culture here that is truly like no other. It’s all about who we are and what we do. Scotties are intelligent, honorable, feisty, change agents, genuine, and so much more. It’s cheesy as cheesy gets but when I stepped on campus for the first time as a senior in high school, it just felt right and I knew that this was where I was supposed to be. The community of the campus had a lot to do with this feeling, okay the community had EVERYTHING to do with this feeling. Even the community beyond the students, the network of faculty, staff and alums is such a supportive, strong and active part of the Agnes community, it’s fantastic!
Why did you choose an all women’s college?
Initially I was not sold on attending a women’s college. Then I visited and did my research. Studies show that women are more academically successful when learning in a single sex environment! The idea of a women’s college started to grow on me more and more, especially when I realized that this meant I would not have any of those annoying boys who a) take the floor for the whole class or b) try to be funny. I really started to see the value of a women’s liberal arts college education when I started talking to various college students from all kinds of institutions. It’s not like we’re in the middle of nowhere, we’re in Atlanta, a great city for college students!
Do you feel you missed out on the “college experience”?
Not at all. I have professors who know me beyond my first name, I have small classes that dive into deep and meaningful discussions, I have a great group of friends. Agnes is like one giant sorority, we throw parties, I spend quality time with my textbooks in the library, I hit up all of the college discounts and certainly gained a few pounds freshman year. It’s definitely a college experience, but better because we have amazing traditions, stellar Scotties, small class sizes, and access to great professors and staff. I wouldn’t change my college experience one bit!
How did you branch out and make friends outside of the ASC bubble?
I met a lot of friends off campus initially through other friends here at ASC, mostly by attending parties or events in Atlanta geared towards college students like college nights. I’ve also made great friends through my summer internship.
What is your favorite tradition and why?
Just one?! I really like our rings. It’s cool because the design hasn’t changed in over 80 years. They are gorgeous, and the ceremony is so memorable and fun! It’s really cool to meet other Scotties by noticing their ring and hearing other ring story meet-ups across the globe. It’s even more fun to be recognized as a Scottie because of your ring! The black ring mafia is such a big tradition, I love it. I think it’s really neat that there is a special part of graduation where we flip our rings around so the engraving faces out to the world.
Any tips for success for incoming Scotties?
Go to class. Stay hydrated. Invest in a planner. Get to know your RAs, they can be a really great resource. Use your academic advisor. Get involved on campus. Explore Atlanta!
How did you adjust to living in the Decatur-Atlanta area on your own?
Decatur-Atlanta is a great place, I love how easy the public transport is here, so simple. The food in Atlanta is delicious, I have a list of restaurants to try still. The people are so friendly, southern hospitality is a real thing. The music scene is really good, I’m super stoked about music midtown this year!
What are some of your favorite aspects and things to do in the area?
I love the food, the coffee shops, the boutiques, the yoga studios and oh yeah did I mention the food? I am also in love with the area of Decatur, it’s such a cool and hip place and the people are the sweetest, the best part is that the Decatur Square is within walking distance of the campus. Having Atlanta for a backyard is awesome. I love living in Decatur because it’s pretty mellow and less hustle and bustle, but it’s only a ten minute drive away from the city which is perfect!