Meet Olivia Gilmore

We were lucky to catch up with Olivia Gilmore recently and have shared our conversation below.

Olivia, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Since I was a young child, I have known that I wanted to work with animals, however, I had no idea where that passion would take me years later. Assisting with delivering my neighbor’s puppies and volunteering at animal rescue events when I was a pre-teen only solidified my love for the animal field. It wasn’t until I was in an honors biology class in high school that I realized my deep love for science as well. From then on, I knew there was only one purpose, one career that would be right for me, and that was becoming a veterinarian. As soon as I stepped into a vet clinic for the first time, I knew that was where I belonged. Throughout the rest of high school and into college, I developed my scientific skills and experiences in the veterinary field, which culminated in applying to veterinary school this past month. I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life and I’m excited to see what the journey of vet school will bring!

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

While my career focus is on becoming a veterinarian, I have two side ventures that I started in college that have been a great way for me to relieve stress and have fun along the way. I started my own crochet shop on etsy called lotsofloopsbyliv, where I sell handmade clothing and apparel items! I also started a podcast called the introvert’s guide to the college rollercoaster ride, where I divulge some of the best hilarious stories from my life experiences! These two ventures have allowed me to express my creativity in ways outside of my career field and they’ve been great ventures so far!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think that the three qualities that helped me the most in pursuing my career are ambition, resilience, and curiosity. It is important to have healthy ambition to reach your goals, and it has been instrumental in helping push through the difficult classes and dream about earning my doctorate degree! It is also important to have resilience for those challenging times and when things don’t go your way, as it encouraged me to overcome those hurdles when I was tempted to give up. Finally, curiosity in the scientific field kept me interested in what I was learning and helped me be excited to go to class everyday. In order to actually enjoy what you’re learning and be able to apply that to a career, I think curiosity is a necessity. I think for someone who is just starting out on their journey, start with what gets you curious or piques your interest when choosing a college major or career path, as you will be much more likely to do well in something that you actually like studying! Also, picture yourself actually working your dream job, especially when you hit a hurdle or two, as actually picturing myself receiving my veterinary degree is what kept me going – especially in my second semester of Physics and Organic Chemistry!

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

It is so easy to feel overwhelmed in college, especially if you’re in an academically challenging major! A few things that have helped me overcome my anxiety about feeling overwhelmed include going on walks/runs, talking it out with a trusted friend, or simply taking a 10 minute break to step away from my work and go outside. Many times, I found myself overthinking everything on my plate, so it helped to take a step back and break everything down into manageable pieces. Also think about the absolute worst case scenario and what exactly is the source of your anxiety. I’ve found that most of the time, the worst-case scenario wasn’t all that I thought it was and it rarely even happened! It’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed from time to time, just remember that there are people and resources out there and it’s perfectly ok to ask for help when needed!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://rss.com/podcasts/berryscariesandcollegecrazieswitholiviagilmore
• Instagram: @thelivgilmore