Olivos to leave Simon's Rock, start business in Peru
Student Affairs looking to hire for new "wellness position" to fill RD vacancy
by Robin Caskey | Llama Ledger Staff
Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: News
After two years as a Residence Director, and two and a half years of marriage, Anne and husband Juan Carlos Olivo will be leaving Simon's Rock to start their own business.
Peru 109, a volunteer agency, will guide groups of students and professionals to develop sustainable projects in Peru. The company's name, both a play on the couple's anniversary (Oct. 9), and a college course number, will be staging their first two month trip this summer, taking along five Simon's Rock students.
"Since we've been together, it's been our goal to find a way to get to live between the United States and Peru," Anne Olivo says of the business.
Peru 109 will allow the couple to "go between countries, speak both [of their] languages, see both [of their] families," while continuing the volunteering and community service the Olivos have become known for.
Olivo says the service trips to Peru "naturally came out of jobs at Simon's Rock," as the student body was eager to volunteer abroad and on campus.
Peru 109 will focus on sustainable projects, taking diverse groups of volunteers, breaking them into teams and letting them design their own service plans.
"We give them a week to actually plan, and decide what the teams are focusing on, what they think the community needs," Olivo says.
Project ideas can range from an public service video series to a mentor program, but the goal is for the projects to be low-cost and simple. "We want them to be sustainable projects so there's a chance they'll survive after we're gone," Olivo says.
While Peru 109's projects may be sustainable, the future of Olivo's Social Action and Service, the volunteering group on campus, is less secure, Olivo says. "We don't know who's going to take over; there is a question mark with that right now. They're going to need a lot of help from students."
Based on student participation—over 100 volunteers and 30 weekly volunteers last year, and even more this year—the chances of SAS's survival look bright as long as they continue to be enthusiastic, Olivo says. "I'm counting on students coming up to Student Life and asking about it."
Student Life is in the process of preparing for next semester, looking into various hiring possibilities.
"Absolutely, we're going to miss them, and it'll be difficult to fill their collective shoes," Director of Residence Life Tom Coote says.
Coote says Student Affairs is trying to find someone for a new role next year. "We're trying to hire a wellness position," he says of his attempts to fill the vacancy left by the Olivos. "I'm trying to hire a position more like Valerie [Fanarjian, Director of Campus Activities] than an RD; a programmer with some RD duties, who would be working with Health and Counseling."
As for Hill House, the Olivo's apartment will be filled by Resident Director Ken Geremia and his family, although Olivo is unsure whether Geremia will continue her famous birthday parties for Hill House residents.
"I don't know who's going to do the birthday parties, I don't know if I can get Ken to do them," she laughs.
But Olivo says she isn't planning on cutting off ties with the Simon's Rock community completely. "If it doesn't work out, we've already asked Tom if we can come back."
Contact the author: rcaskey@llamaledger.com
Peru 109, a volunteer agency, will guide groups of students and professionals to develop sustainable projects in Peru. The company's name, both a play on the couple's anniversary (Oct. 9), and a college course number, will be staging their first two month trip this summer, taking along five Simon's Rock students.
"Since we've been together, it's been our goal to find a way to get to live between the United States and Peru," Anne Olivo says of the business.
Peru 109 will allow the couple to "go between countries, speak both [of their] languages, see both [of their] families," while continuing the volunteering and community service the Olivos have become known for.
Olivo says the service trips to Peru "naturally came out of jobs at Simon's Rock," as the student body was eager to volunteer abroad and on campus.
Peru 109 will focus on sustainable projects, taking diverse groups of volunteers, breaking them into teams and letting them design their own service plans.
"We give them a week to actually plan, and decide what the teams are focusing on, what they think the community needs," Olivo says.
Project ideas can range from an public service video series to a mentor program, but the goal is for the projects to be low-cost and simple. "We want them to be sustainable projects so there's a chance they'll survive after we're gone," Olivo says.
While Peru 109's projects may be sustainable, the future of Olivo's Social Action and Service, the volunteering group on campus, is less secure, Olivo says. "We don't know who's going to take over; there is a question mark with that right now. They're going to need a lot of help from students."
Based on student participation—over 100 volunteers and 30 weekly volunteers last year, and even more this year—the chances of SAS's survival look bright as long as they continue to be enthusiastic, Olivo says. "I'm counting on students coming up to Student Life and asking about it."
Student Life is in the process of preparing for next semester, looking into various hiring possibilities.
"Absolutely, we're going to miss them, and it'll be difficult to fill their collective shoes," Director of Residence Life Tom Coote says.
Coote says Student Affairs is trying to find someone for a new role next year. "We're trying to hire a wellness position," he says of his attempts to fill the vacancy left by the Olivos. "I'm trying to hire a position more like Valerie [Fanarjian, Director of Campus Activities] than an RD; a programmer with some RD duties, who would be working with Health and Counseling."
As for Hill House, the Olivo's apartment will be filled by Resident Director Ken Geremia and his family, although Olivo is unsure whether Geremia will continue her famous birthday parties for Hill House residents.
"I don't know who's going to do the birthday parties, I don't know if I can get Ken to do them," she laughs.
But Olivo says she isn't planning on cutting off ties with the Simon's Rock community completely. "If it doesn't work out, we've already asked Tom if we can come back."
Contact the author: rcaskey@llamaledger.com
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