Balancing her analytical side with her creative side has never been a problem for Olivia Corradin, a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences. She has no doubt that she wants to have a career in medical research; her major is in Biochemistry, and she’s also double-minoring in biology and math. But she is also the co-creator of Pure Dance Marquette with sophomore Sophia Anagnos. So whoever says that science and art could never come together, has obviously never met Olivia.
In pursuit of her scientific dreams, Corradin has been working in Dr. Blumenthal’s lab in Wehr Life Sciences as an undergraduate research assistant.
“I love the one-on-one training with the professor, and it starts the career that I hope to have. I would really love to go on and get my doctorate in some field of science, and then work in a laboratory setting,” Corradin said.
But in order to keep dancing, an activity that she loves, Corradin started Pure Dance to create a group that allowed people to bond over dancing while still allowing time for homework and studying. Corradin not only holds a leadership role within the group, she also choreographs. For Pure Dance’s upcoming show December 7, in the Weasler Auditorium, she choreographed five of the 14 pieces.
“I’m really excited about the show this semester. The theme for the show is ‘Wild,’ and to go with that theme, we are donating all of the proceeds to the World Wildlife Preserve,” Corradin said. The goal for each future performance is to pick a charity to go with each theme.
Not only is Corradin active on Marquette’s campus, she also teaches ballet, jazz and hip-hop at the Young Dance Academy. She teaches eight classes per week to students aged four to 18. And she absolutely loves it. She said that the best part of her job was seeing the kids progress so quickly.
“They’re always so happy; they make me happy,” Corradin said.
Being busy has become part of Corradin’s life as she tries to manage 17 credits of science and math, undergraduate research, Pure Dance and teaching dance classes. She says that she has scheduled almost every part of her day.
“I’m a list queen. If I didn’t organize my day, I would be completely lost,” Corradin said.
She has also found a really great place to study, because with all that she has to do, she cannot afford to have a lot of distractions. The fifth floor of the Memorial library is Corradin’s best-kept secret.
“It’s quiet, I have my own table, and all the people there know each other, just because we’re the only ones that come there. They all understand when I stay for a long time when I really need to study,” Corradin said.
But she feels that in the end, being busy is actually very rewarding. Not only is she paying for college by herself with the help of scholarship money and her two jobs, she has grown as a person.
“I’m at a place right now where I’m okay with who I am and who I want to be. I’m finding my dream and pursuing it,” Corradin said.
Popularity: 4% [?]
