SHE/HER
Newton, Catawba County, North Carolina
I am a freelance writer and editor whose work focuses on living in the South. I graduated with honors from Appalachian State University in May 2020, in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. I currently reside in Newton, North Carolina.
What Olivia hopes to achieve through the AAN:
I hope I gain insight into my fellow participants’ lives within Appalachia and further insight into my own community as I investigate and reflect on what it means to live in Appalachia.
What she’d like to see happen during the first 100 days of the next presidential administration:
Overall, I hope that people become more accepting and respectful of the people around them. Regardless of political affiliation, the willingness to discuss and understand rather than point fingers and discriminate is something we all need to work on. And I think the eradication of media exploitation is a great place to start.
Olivia’s advice for journalists who want to cover Appalachia:
Dig a little deeper. Instead of taking our community members at face value, try to understand their point of view, and approach them from an honest angle, person to person, rather than journalist to subject.
Reach out to Olivia through this form: