For Cinestie Olson, finding her place at Iowa State was a long journey. At first, Olson wasn’t even positive if attending college was a possibility for her. With the help of scholarships, she started on her path.
Olson knew she found her niche in public relations after attending a weekend seminar on influencer marketing by Debra Gibson. After that seminar, Olson gained the drive she needed to discover her future career.
“That transformed the way I viewed my major and what I wanted to do after college,” she said.
Other instructors like Gary Sawyer, Erin Wilgenbusch, Deni Chamberlin and Joanna Schroeder are also to credit for Olson’s memorable time at the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication. She admires their drive to share knowledge and support students to ensure they have the best possible education.
Olson started taking advantage of opportunities on campus from day one.
Since her freshman year, Olson knew she wanted to participate in the National Student Exchange program. NSE allows students to do semester-long exchanges at colleges around the United States. After working for the program during college, Olson will be studying at the University of Hawai’i, Hilo during the spring 2022 semester.
For two years Olson has been on TREND magazine’s editorial team for Trend for Men Fashion, a student-run publication housed in the Department of Apparel, Events and Hospitality focusing on fashion, beauty, body and lifestyle for women and men in the Iowa State community. She also worked on their social media team for two semesters. Olson worked various jobs on campus and was a member of the DubH Hip Hop Club.
Two years ago, Olson participated in Greenlee’s study abroad program in Urbino, Italy. She described the decision to go as last-minute but ultimately “life-changing.”
Olson plans on graduating this spring. She’s on the hunt for a job but is looking forward to spending her last semester in Hawaii.
“With Greenlee, I love how it’s such a close, tight-knit community. I know someone every time I walk into the building,” Olson said.