Reed’s newest adventure
MINOT, N.D. – Olivia Reed believes in the journey.
That sense of exploration has taken her from her home state of California across the country to Florida and up the East Coast.
Her next stop at Minot State University just seemed like the next exciting step.
“I feel like it's another new adventure,” Reed said. “I lived in Florida and Pennsylvania, why not here? It is implementing everything I have been working towards.”
Reed joined the MSU faculty this fall as an assistant professor of professional communication. She has a passion for teaching, working hard to earn her master’s and then a doctorate in media studies and mass communications at Penn State after gaining a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of California, Davis.
But that passion, while exciting as she started her career, nearly didn’t happen as the stresses of her undergraduate studies almost derailed her academic career.
She found motivation and focus on The Disney College Program (DCP).
“By the time I was a junior, I needed a break from school. So, I was just feeling burned out from giving school my all and by taking a break. The Disney College Program made it so I was able to come back and was just motivated to finish,” Reed said.
At UC Davis, Reed completed two internships with the DCP.
“The Disney College Program is a semester-long internship at either Disney World or Disneyland. So, it gives college students the opportunity to move down to the parks, to live, learn, and earn,” said Reed. “I did the Disney College Program in my junior year of college, and I was a character performer. So, I lived down there for four and a half months with five other girls in a two-bedroom apartment, I bussed to work, worked in all the parks and resorts. Then I went back the summer after graduating college and worked in merchandise.”
This opportunity not only allowed her to return to school motivated, but it also started her social media journey.
“For both of those (internships with the DCP), I started a YouTube channel and started documenting my experience and that is kind of how I grew into an influencer,” Reed said.
Her presence on YouTube has made a significant impact on her journey.
“I got more interested in building digital brands and creating content that people want to watch and creating a sense of community online. That then fed into my graduate studies,” said Reed.
Working under the DCP opened her eyes to a new level of opportunity she had not previously explored. Going through this program allowed her to contemplate new areas she could explore in graduate school, and how she could apply her new passion in life as a career.
“At Disney, I thought that I might be interested in something like talent recruitment and human resources, and I applied to graduate programs in that area. Then I randomly came across a media psychology class in my last year of college,” Reed said. “I really loved it and applied to programs in that area. I had always toyed with the thought of teaching and, in order to teach media psychology, you have to teach it at the college level. Which needed a Ph.D.”
The experience with Disney guided her and prepared her for her profession as a university professor. It also led her to Minot State.
“While applying for jobs, my main focus was that I wanted a small teaching institution where I could get to know the students. Where it was more of a focus on educating and learning,” she said. “Minot fit exactly what I was looking for. I have never been to North Dakota, I never thought I would move here or live here. The job was such a perfect fit that I thought, why not?”
In just a brief time as a faculty member at MSU, the University’s intimate classroom setting and hands-on learning environment have left an immediate impression.
“I like how small it is,” Reed said. “I feel like I have gone to big colleges, and I never knew everyone in just the communications department. Here, I get to know faculty and administrators; I have students in multiple classes and get to learn their names. I think the close-knit community is something I really like about it.”
That environment is also making an impact on Minot State students.
“I really like that I am getting to know the students and making a positive impact,” Reed said. “Now I get to teach them every day, multiple times a day."
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
Published: 02/16/24
