Name: Olivia Jones
Age: 19
Title: Fashion, Business, and Spanish Student at Arizona State University, Director of Recruitment Events for Pi Beta Phi, Content Creation Intern for The Pao App, and Campus Manager for University Tees.
Married/Single: Single and loving it!
Kids: Do my dogs count?
City you live in: Tempe, Arizona
A typical day in my life includes…
the past few months have not been typical at all, but I’ve been definitely staying busy during the quarantine and shut-down! I generally wake up and either do a workout in my apartment or go for a run (I recently decided to train for a half-marathon!). I’ve been filling my days with cooking, which has been so fun, scrapbooking because I’m such a mom at heart, hiking, sunbathing, and seeing people that I haven’t in a long time because I was actually abroad this most recent semester so haven’t seen my friends in forever. During the school year, I’m usually extremely busy with classes and my sorority, but I love having a packed schedule!
I was born…
in Freedom, Wisconsin, which is a small town near Green Bay. My family still lives in Wisconsin, but I just moved to Arizona full time a few months ago. This will be my first summer here, and I’m mentally preparing myself for the heat!
My favorite thing about Arizona…
the people! When I first came down here for school two years ago, I didn’t know anybody, and I found such an amazing community of people through Greek life, school, and mutual friends. I was brought to tears recently thinking about how very thankful and blessed I am for the friends I’ve found and the relationships I’ve built. Since coming to Arizona, I have never felt more supported, understood, and loved!
I’m listening to…
anything and everything! When I’m relaxing at home I love some slow, singer-songwriter acoustic type of music, and I’m a major sucker for some 2000s throwback pop too (but like who isn’t).
My family…
is my whole life! I am so lucky to have a very close extended family, and lots of cousins my age who are like an extension to my siblings. Everybody lives in Wisconsin, but I absolutely adore every second that I get to spend with them over holidays. My family is kind of crazy, and there’s never a dull moment, which keeps it so fun.
If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be…
my Aunt Teresa. She passed away a little over a year ago from breast cancer and is one of the strongest, most faithful, and most inspiring women that I’ve ever met. She went through so much and always had the most amazing mindset, and I’d love to be able to see her again.
One thing I cannot live without…
my dogs! I have a beagle named Hank and a black lab named Stanley, and they’re the loves of my life, I run Instagram accounts for each of them because I’m extra like that haha. They live with my family in Wisconsin, and I go through dog withdrawals not seeing them for so long!
When I was younger, I wanted to be…
a part-time volcano scientist and a part-time supermodel… don’t ask, because I really don’t understand it either.
I’m inspired by…
anyone who follows their dreams with passion and motivation, no matter what those dreams are! I think there is a lot of pressure for young people to pick ‘practical’ career paths and ‘be realistic’, which I think eliminates a lot of creativity and shuts down a lot of talent. When people dive headfirst into what they’re truly excited about, whether its music or art or fashion, it is so inspiring to me!
The one person who motivates me is…
my mom! She is one of the smartest, funniest, and most beautiful people I know, and is so accomplished as an award-winning pediatrician! She’s always been my hero, and now, more than ever, during the COVID-19 crisis, she’s one of our nation’s heroes too. She’s one of my best friends and I hope that I can someday be half the woman she is!
If I could change anything in the world, it would be…
I wish that people were more openminded to new perspectives and new opportunities! I know so many people who are rooted in the same beliefs, ideas, or places that they have been since they were kids, and I think that growth and progress as a global society happens when we’re all open to looking at the world through the viewpoints of others!
The perfect day would be…
exploring a new city (preferably near a beach) with people I love and no schedule or plans! Spontaneous days where you go in with no expectations always end up being the most fun, and I love being surrounded by people, traveling, and seeing new places!
My first job was…
working as a hostess and waitress in an Asian restaurant while in High School! I loved waitressing because I love meeting new people, my coworkers were wonderful, and staying busy on my feet made shifts go by so fast!
My favorite escape…
my family has a cabin on a lake up in northern Wisconsin, and its the best place to get away from the craziness of life and reconnect with relatives! Some of the happiest memories have happened here, from age 6 to age 19, and my cousins and I have had so many great days on the lake, waterskiing, playing games, eating #guaconthedock, and forgetting about the world for a bit.
My life…
crazy busy and crazy fun. I call my lifestyle “organized chaos”; I often have something to be doing or somewhere do be every hour of the day, but I keep a color-coded calendar that never fails. I feel most rewarded after spending a long day being productive and connecting with people I love! Work hard, play hard is a life motto.
I’m currently working on…
using this time in quarantine to develop healthy lifestyle habits! I’ve been eating very clean and learning to cook new healthy recipes, working out more than I have in a long time, trying to develop a normal sleep schedule (something I always struggle with), and taking time for myself! I feel so much better inside and out when I’m making healthy choices and can feel my body thanking me!
Always…
stay positive! Everything experience that we have in life depends so much on our mindset and our inner happiness. My mom used to tell me “you are not a faucet. Nothing can turn you mad, or turn you happy. Things happen and you choose how you react to them” and that’s something that I’ve always lived by. People who know me well can honestly say that they never see me mad or sad, and its because I try not to let external things, and things that are out of my control affect me. Negativity breeds negativity, and positivity breeds positivity. I truly believe that when you have a bright outlook on life, everything in life starts working out in your favor! Manifest that ish!
Never…
say no to opportunities! So many people decide not to do things, be it because of fear of failure, fear of something bad happening, or just not feeling up to it. Best case scenario, you may meet new amazing friends or make incredible memories, and worst-case scenario, it becomes a heck of a story someday and that’s how you learn and grow!
Favorite Quote…
(I have so many) but currently loving “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” I saw it written on a mirror in Switzerland and think it fits the state of the world right now really well!
Biggest Dream…
travel is my passion and my bucket list is a mile long. There are so many places I want to see, and I’d love to never settle down and be constantly bouncing around the globe! Finding a way to get paid to travel the world? That would be the dream. I’m very interested in the business side of the fashion industry and would love to be a buyer or marketer for an international clothing company.
My Pet Peeve(s)…
people who are constantly complaining! Complaining accomplishes nothing, and talking negatively just brings the whole vibe down. Instead of sitting and thinking about things they don’t like, I wish people would go out and change those things!
