Elizabeth Olson (33) Studying to be a Public Health Professional

Tell me about yourself

Some people can’t understand how I ended up where I am. We expect twenty-one-year-olds to know what they want to do the rest of their lives but one’s path is a lot more winding. 

I graduated with a major in English from the University of Michigan in 2008. However, it was when we were entering a recession and I couldn’t find a job. I was trying to pay off student loans and ended up working at the theatre...not great. Then, Denise, from Parks and Rec remembered me from life-guarding in high school. She invited me to work in the office at the Southside Community Center. She hated doing the numerical part of things so I did it, and it became my favorite thing to do. 

At the same time, as a big fan of Saturday Night Live, I knew I wanted to move to Chicago for the comedy scene. I ended up moving there that year with sister’s friends and started looking for accounting positions. However, my degree was in English and getting accounting positions was a challenge. One of the jobs I applied for was with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I think they only gave me an interview because one summer I was a temp for my mom who worked there. I made it to the second interview but I didn’t get the job. Then after six months later I was invited back to interview again.This time, I got the job! Two weeks later, the person who had the entry level accounting position quit, and I was promoted.

 I worked for Make-A-Wish eight years. However, it was hard emotionally and I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do forever. I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do but I got a job at Loyola. That way, when I decided what to study, I could go to school for free. 

At first I considered the grad program in Math and Statistics but it didn’t sound interesting. One day, I so happened to be chatting with my friend in public health when I realized that’s what I wanted to do. Working for Make-A-Wish, I saw we were sending them on vacation but they were still sick. I wanted to help others in their health outcomes. My friend told me about the sector in public health called epidemiology—working with data. It’s like detective work in a way and it sounded perfect for me. 

Tell me about your recent surgery

I’ve been heavy all my life.I’ve always been fairly active and I’ve never had any other health problems. But a lot of health problems like, high blood pressure and heart disease, run in my family. Five years ago I lost seventy pounds on my own and I started having what I thought were heart attacks. They turned out to be inexplicable panic attacks. I was getting frustrated and was well aware of the increasing risks of high cholesterol and high blood pressure as I got older. 

It took a long time to get approved for the surgery, especially after discovering that the panic attacks seemed to stem from my previous weight-loss. After one year, and seeing five psychologists, I was finally approved. In September 2019 I had a gastric sleeve which reduces the size of the stomach. There’s still a long recovery process; I have to learn to recognize hunger signals and avoid eating certain things. But so far I’ve lost seventy-five pounds. Moving through life is easier and a lot more comfortable now.

Have you ever quit a job? Yes, a movie theatre I couldn’t stand it. I was older than my manager and it was hard being bossed around by people four years younger.

What is one accomplishment you’re most proud of? Living on my own in Chicago. It was a big adjustment coming from a small city, but I did it on my own!

What is your last recurring dream? I’m in the neighborhood where I grew up, flying around the park.

What was your last DIY project? I installed a towel rack. I used a power drill and was really proud of myself.

What are your hobbies? I read, swim, write, and do improv comedy.

Do you have any secret obsessions? I really like space, I read a lot of books about Astrophysics. Michio Kaku writes books that are general audience friendly.

What is one quality or characteristic you would like to change about yourself ? Self- confidence. I say things to myself that I’d never say to others. 

What is your favorite part of your daily routine? I work in downtown Chicago and I take walks on my lunch break by the lake. It’s half-an-hour I have to myself. 

If you could repeat a day what would it be? Every July I go to North Carolina. I stay on the beach in giant beautiful house with extended family. It’s my favorite week ever.

What’s one thing few people know about you? A lot of people don’t realize how shy I am because I do a good job at hiding it. They can’t believe I’m an introvert.

Have you changed at all since moving to Chicago? Yes. It could be maturity or that I’m around more people now.