By: Mattie Rametta 

Olivia Paplaczyk is a senior from Berwyn, Illinois. She is a Psychology major with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. Paplaczyk chose to major in Psychology after taking General Psychology with Dr. Jason Pych. The course fostered her love for the field and made her realize this was what she wanted to do with the rest of her life.

Paplaczyk initially chose to attend Concordia to participate in track as a pole vaulter, but made the decision to step away from the team and focus on academics her sophomore year. While Paplaczyk may have came to Concordia for sports, she stayed based on the strong friendship she has made along the way. When asked what Concordia has added to her life, Paplaczyk said, “Concordia is special to me because I’ve made my best friends here. I’ve met people who relate to my life and love me like family.”

As her exit from Concordia quickly approaches, she has begun planning for the future. She is currently researching graduate programs and hopes to find a position in a counseling related field. When asked how Concordia has shaped her and her plan for the future, Paplczyk says while time here hasn’t been easy, it has helped her find a field she loves and hopes to grow into.

Paplaczyk believes that college is a time you will remember for the rest of your life, so have fun and make mistakes because college is a time for growth and discovery. Her parting advice to freshmen and those still working toward their degrees is “Stay positive, try your hardest and don’t get discouraged. Don’t beat yourself up over small things. Life happens, so make the best out of your time here and whatever happens, happens.”