Emily Olson

Emily Olson - Maryland
Interview by Inspiring Teens
Nomination by Layla Olson
Photography by Jennifer Didio
Issue 41 of Inspiring Teens Magazine
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The Nomination: Emily Olson is an amazing child. She had a brother that is special needs and has defended him in many situations throughout their lives. She wants to be a child psychologist/ therapist to assist children like her brother. She is a motivated student and competes with a local dance team. She is super kind to everyone (a lot of younger children) look up to her. She continues to impress us every day.

Photography by Jennifer Didio

What inspired you to want to work in children’s therapy?
My brother has disabilities so I have seen how cruel and closed off adults can be to a child like my brother. This led me to develop the understanding that maybe it is not just my brother adults don’t understand. A lot of adults don’t try to understand what is truly going on with their children, they may seem happy, but all children need someone to talk to an open up to. I figured I could be that person and help these children with their problems that some adults do not have time to focus on.

Tell us about what you are doing now to help you prepare for that occupation in the future.
I decided to take a psychology class with Carroll Community college to help me better prepare to deal with people and their minds. Psychology explains a lot of why people act the way they do, and I felt as though I can relate those topics to children. I used to work with children at summer camps, and dance classes, but due to covid I had to stop. Those experiences also helped me to observe behavior of children and try to figure out why they act the way they do.

Photography by Jennifer Didio

If you could publicly present any topic to a group of your peers, what would it be and why?
I would talk about how unrealistic beauty standards are in today’s society, because a lot of people tend to believe whether they are men or women that if they do not look a certain way, they are not beautiful, but I completely disagree with that and I want my peers to know this too.
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What is the main thing others should know about unrealistic beauty standards?
Unrealistic beauty standards lead people to want something that is impossible to achieve, it is okay to want better for yourself, but you should do so in a healthy way. You should take care of your body, do not push yourself, drink water, and change your diet if you want to but make sure to not restrict yourself. If you do not want to change your diet or exercise that’s okay too, live your life in the body you were given because all bodies are beautiful.

Photography by Jennifer Didio

​Please share with us your dance journey. Where did you start and where are you now? What do you love best about it?
I started dance when I was three years old at NCRC a non-competitive dance company, I performed at many recitals. When I got to the age of 8 or 9 I saw a single production put on by the competitive dancers and I knew that’s what I wanted to do too. The next year I joined the competitive dance team D&Js. I started out in the lower groups made great friends; I found a family within that studio. I tried every different genre of dance, but I decided my favorites were tap and hip hop. Each year I worked hard to get to higher and higher companies, and now I am in the highest hip hop, and tap group. I worked hard to get into the dances I am in now and have come a long way from where I was when I started 7 years ago. I love that family I developed in the studio, and how every time I go in the stress leaves my body, for the few hours I am there I can just let go.

What is your favorite dance memory?
My favorite dance memory is each time we would go on stage for our award sessions. Each person in our company would gather together excited to hear the results and placements of each group. Everyone would cheer and congratulate each other. Our whole team for most of the sessions were together we would dance on stage joke around and cheer each other up if we did not do as good as we had thought.

How has covid changed dance for you and your classes?
Covid caused us to be out of the studio for months and be not able to compete at any competitions. I had to adjust to dancing in a closet instead of a big open studio for a while (I am not joking it was an actual closet). Now that we are back at the studio, we are there for less time, and there are not as many classes. Many people who once all danced together are now separated into smaller groups.

What is the hardest thing you have ever accomplished, and how did you do it?
Getting to the higher group in hip hop was one of the hardest things I have ever accomplished. In fact, for a few years when I tried out, I did not make it. I do not give up however, so I continued working and practicing, and giving all the energy I had. I put so much work into getting to where I am in hip hop, if I had given up, I would have never gotten there.

Photography by Jennifer Didio

What advice would you give to someone who wants to be where you are today?
As cliché as it sounds never give up. The things you want to achieve may seem impossible at first, but you can get there if you continue to work for it. Push yourself work as hard as you can and if you make a mistake, put it in the past and move on there is no point in focusing on mistakes you made. When people make a mistake, they tend to think it the end of the world, but it is not just keep working for what you want and you will get there.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years/what are your plans?
I hope I am on the path of my career and have a job that either involves children’s therapy or will lead to it. I see myself in a happy relationship not only with a significant other, but with friends and family. I will have a good support system and figure out decisions involving where I will end up living as I go.

What is your favorite activity or pastime that was not in your nomination?
I enjoy drawing and even painting sometimes, I consider myself to be a creative person, so anything creative I can do.

Do you have a hidden talent? What is it?
Most pictures I see I can draw from just looking at them, usually cartoon types of pictures.

3 Things on your bucket list
Travel to New York and see a Broadway show, go skydiving, see the grand canyon

Who do you find inspiring?
My oldest brother, I have seen every hard thing he has gone through in his life and I know he does not think I notice, but he was able to work hard to get where he is now, and he still is working to accomplish more. One day I want to be as smart and hardworking as my brother is.

What about you inspires others/why do you think you are inspiring?
I think my kindness inspires others to be more kind to each other. I know what it is like to have people be unkind to you, and I know I am not the kindest person in the world, but I truly hope I do inspire others to be nicer to one another.

How do you keep your schedule straight when you are so busy?
I usually have to write down things to remember them. I also choose a day to do each task and try to give myself some break days. For example, I may decide on a night I do not have much dance to do more of my assignments than I normally could. I also find days I can hang with friends or my boyfriend and try to make sure they do not clash by letting people know the days I am actually available.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us?
I do not think there is anything else I would like to share, just excited to be participating.

Look for Emily in issue 41 of Inspiring Teens Magazine!

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Click here for more information on issue 41

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