Student Life | Get the inside scoop on living in Olympia and attending The Evergreen State College

Welcome to Student Life at Evergreen!

The Student Life blog helps you get the inside scoop on living in Olympia and attending The Evergreen State College. Blogs are updated frequently with experiences in student and community life. Check out any of the blogs to learn more. Ask us any question you have by posting a comment!

Alyssa

Hey everyone! My name is Alyssa and I’m a senior here at Evergreen. I moved to Olympia from Vancouver (near Portland) straight out of high school without a car and without knowing a soul in the area. Olympia has since become my home and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My academic focus is in political science with a minor focus on social science (particularly gender studies), writing, and humanities. Evergreen has given me the opportunity to study all of the subjects that interest me even though they’re all over the map. Being well-rounded has better prepared me for the job market and helped me find things that I’m really passionate about: social justice, student leadership, and education.

I recently finished an internship in the Washington State Senate (through the Washington State Legislative Internship Program)Fall will be the first quarter I’m doing only Evening and Weekend studies on campus (Critical Reasoning, Grant Writing, and Photography are all part time). I’m also doing my own contract that allows me to get credit for continuing to work with the Washington State Legislature. I’ve been involved with the S&A Board in past years but plan on participating as much as possible in Student Activities while I still can.

I have photos of the campus and the greater Olympia area from my first couple years at Evergreen. You can check out the newer photos as I update them here. If you have any questions about Evergreen or Olympia let me know, I’m happy to answer them!

Go to Alyssa’s blog

Celi

Hola! I’m Celi, a Junior, from foggy San Francisco! Having lived here for three years now, I am enchanted by the Northwest and all it has to boast. I chose Evergreen because it was completely different from my high school, all my other college options, and was overall the more unexpected thing for me to indulge in. I was very attracted to having discussion based learning and relationships with my professors and peers. And I couldn’t be happier with my education pathway!

I entered Evergreen heavily interested in studying Education Policy; I am still very interested in it, but am digging into more Latin American and Media Studies this year with a course called “Venezuela: Building Economic & Social Justice“. I hope to travel to Venezuela during winter quarter. I was in “Gateways for Incarcerated Youth: Popular Education, Arts, & Activism” last year, doing community and education studies, while working with incarcerated youth during weekly visits. I have also studied American History and Culture, Economics, and American Literature here at Evergreen!

Outside the classroom, I have mostly been involved with the student groups: the Student of Color Union and the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition, the President’s Diversity Fund Committee, and the First People’s Advising Services. Talk to me about moving from an urban to small-town environment, where and what to eat in Oly, and anything else about being a Greener!

Go to Celi’s blog

ERIN

Erin

Hello! My name is Erin and I’m a junior at Evergreen this year. I’m a Pacific Northwest native and grew up on a small sheep and pig farm outside of Portland, OR. I really wanted to stay in the NW and Evergreen is the perfect distance away from home – I really lucked out on that one!

I came straight from high school to Evergreen wanting to do non-profit studies and because of our unique curriculum, I’ve approached it from many different angles. I began with decolonization work, but wandered my way through history, public policy, economics, psychology and art – all of which I feel have been adding to my ultimate academic goal of non-profit studies. This fall I’m studying Third World social movements and sociology and I have a feeling most of this year will be focused around those.

I am excited (and a little daunted) to be in school for two more years, but I love the Pacific NW and I cannot wait to see what the rest of my time in Olympia has in store for me! If you have any questions about Evergreen or Olympia life, feel free to send me a message and I’d be glad to help you!

Go to Erin’s blog

KARL

Karl

Hi there! My name is Karl and I am originally from Shepherdstown, WV. While attending a private boarding school in Maryland, I realized I wanted an education that was entirely different from what I had previously experienced, and from there I was directed across the nation to Evergreen. I am currently in my second year here, and my focus is international business and cultural studies. When I am not in class or at work, I am posted in the kitchen experimenting with new and exciting foods.

I decided to take on international business due to my foreign background. Though I was born in West Virginia, I am a Swedish and Canadian citizen and most of my family is overseas. Because of this, I have been able to learn to read and write in Swedish. It seemed like a natural decision for me to take this path. Since I have been at Evergreen, I have taken two programs about Caribbean culture and tourism (Caribbean Cultural Crossings and Caribbean Tourism: A Critical Analysis) , as well as an economics program covering Micro, Macro, the history of economic thought, as well as financial calculations (Foundations of Economics). This Fall and Winter I am taking Blood and Borders: Tradition and Transformation in Central Europe.

Though I have just starting my second year, I truly believe in the mission and purpose of Evergreen. Having truly fallen for this place, I hope that my enthusiasm for it will be evident. If you are interested in Evergreen, feel free to shoot me a message with any questions.

Go to Karl’s blog