Elon University senior, Olivia Arges, reflects on change and resilience and what these words truly mean. She shares how her perception of resilience has changed over the past few years, and her current view of what resilience means to her. After experiencing extreme PTSD and suffering from a sleep deprived and stress induced seizure, Olivia found that pushing through difficult emotions and experiences does not necessarily define resilience. Instead, Olivia defines resilience as listening and taking care of yourself.

Olivia is majoring in Human Service Studies with a minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She is originally from Durham, NC and works as a student office assistant at the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life. She spent summer 2016 in Cincinnati with the Alliance of Baptists and United Church of Christ working with at-risk youth. Olivia is a volunteer victim advocate at Crossroads Sexual Assault Response and Resource Center in Burlington, NC. During this past summer, Olivia conducted research on Self-Care for Sexual Assault Victim Advocates and created a self-care workbook for advocates that is in the process of being distributed to local volunteers and professionals free of charge. Olivia is currently doing an internship at Family Abuse Services of Alamance County.