About Olivia

Hi! I’m Olivia, and I’m so glad you’re here! 

I grew up on my family’s Christmas tree farm in Appalachian Ohio. (Yes, it really is like a Hallmark movie all year round!) Growing up in a blue-collar family instilled in me the importance of a strong work ethic, a value that has served me well over the past 24 years. After graduating high school, I headed West to pursue my Broadway dreams at Oklahoma City University. During my junior year, I suffered a career ending injury that put my plans of performing on pause. Although it was an incredibly difficult time, both physically and emotionally, I realize that this was truly a gift. It gave me the opportunity to explore who I am beyond the stage lights and the characters. My injury resulted in a complete career 180—I decided to go to law school. 

I know on the surface it may seem that musical theatre and law school are polar opposites. However, they have one crucial aspect in common: storytelling. I realized that I could use my love of storytelling in a different way. Instead of telling stories on a stage, I could help people tell their own stories. I am now a third-year JD Candidate at The Ohio State Moritz College of Law. Go Bucks!

The past 2 years at Moritz have been incredibly rewarding. Along with building the foundation of my legal education, I have had the opportunity to give back to my Appalachian community. During my externship at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Lawyers for Kids, I had the opportunity to pursue health equity by working with patients to remove barriers to medical treatment including immigration, housing, domestic violence, and educational disputes. This past semester, I externed at the Marshall University Athletic Department, where I had the opportunity to draft successful legislation. I now serve as Chief Online Note Editor for The Ohio State Journal on Dispute Resolution, the official American Bar Association journal for alternative dispute resolution. I am thrilled to have been published in this journal twice throughout my legal education, and I look forward to continuing to contribute scholarship in the dispute resolution field.

While my path has taken some unexpected twists and turns, I remain steadfast in who I am—an Appalachian, a storyteller, and an advocate.