Senior of the Year: Jeanne Olivier

Senior Jeanne Olivier epitomizes the textbook definition of a successful Exonian. She is an ESSO Club Head, a proctor in McConnell Hall, captain of the girls crew team and one of the early inductees of the Cum Laude society. Her achievements don’t end there. She is known for her sincerity, kindness and cheeriness, and she is valued highly by her friends, teammates and teachers for her distinctive presence.

At 6’0” (or, as she calls it, “5’12,”) Olivier is hard to miss as she makes her way around campus. She is “poised,” “always put together” and “admirable,” to name just a few qualities her friends used to describe her.

Originally from Quebec, Olivier grew up speaking French in school and at home. She maintains her dual fluency and close connection to her family by calling her family “almost every night” and speaking in French.

Olivier described transitioning to an English-speaking school in her lower year to be quite difficult at times, as she was presented with unexpected culture shock. “The culture in America is completely different from the culture in French-speaking Canada,” she said.

Even now, she finds herself counting in French in math class or being surprised by jokes or English sayings. Olivier recalled the challenge of identifying herself through her transition to the United States and Exeter. “It’s harder to be completely yourself in a different language,” she said.

Despite linguistic and cultural obstacles, Olivier has without a doubt experienced terrific success at the Academy. The summer before she began as a student, she took the initiative and reached out to the former ESSO coordinator, Laurie Loosigian, to start up a Fair Trade Club.

Olivier’s interest for fair trade developed through her participation in a similar club at her previous school in Canada. She was excited that at Exeter, the club would be fully student-run, allowing her to pursue her passion more freely and independently.

Another aspect of Exeter that Olivier looked forward to was the collective drive to learn and grow as students. At her old school, there was stigma for asking for help since it was believed to be “a thing dumb kids did.” However, Olivier said that at Exeter she has truly learned how to seek help and acknowledges the process now as a strength rather than a weakness.

Olivier is quite the opposite of a “dumb kid.” Around campus, Olivier is known for her insightful comments at the Harkness table, her thought-provoking conversations and her impressive academic record. History instructor Michael Golay, who is also a McConnell dorm affiliate, said, “It’s always been clear to me that she has a very active and impressive mind, and I’m definitely not alone in [thinking] that.”

Olivier has proven to be not only naturally intelligent, but also an extremely hard worker. Senior Alice McCrum described Olivier as “the most hardworking person” she’s ever met.

“I call Jeanne ‘the Exeter unicorn,’ because she somehow manages to do everything in a day effortlessly, calmly and fabulously,” McCrum said. “She has an amazing academic record, but she also does so many other things at school, manages to go to bed by 11 every single night and looks incredible every day.”

Olivier’s hardworking attitude not only reflects in her academic performance, but shines through in all facets of her life, inluding athletics. Before arriving at the Academy her lower fall, Olivier had never rowed before. In fall club crew, Olivier quickly learned the ins and outs of the sport and fell in love with it immediately. Crew is known around campus as one of the most difficult and self-disciplined sports, and so it was no surprise that Olivier loved the challenge and soar above and beyond already high expectations.

Crew and JV Hockey have emerged as key aspects of Olivier’s daily life at the Academy. Through these teams, she has found a close-knit friendship group and support system, as well as a cherished passion that often eases the pressures of school work.

As the captain of both the girls’ crew team and the JV hockey team, Olivier has led her teams into numerous victories, and in the process, has provided invaluable lessons and support to her teammates. Naturally, Olivier has set a shining example for younger team members to follow.

Olivier brings this same admirable leadership and guidance to her dorm, McConnell Hall. As a proctor and friend to many, Olivier is a cherished proctor on which everyone can depend.

Senior Stephanie Chen said, “Jeanne is an exemplary proctor.  She’s always organized, she’s always put together and she always has a smile to greet the girls in the dorm. We all definitely consider her a role model.”

Upper Melody Nguyen added that Olivier is a strong proctor because she can make the dorm a very comfortable environment. When members of the dorm are being too loud in the dorm, Olivier quiets them down in a gentle, respectful and sometimes humorous manner. Not many have that friendly yet powerful presence that Olivier has.

Most of all, dorm mates, students and faculty alike adore Olivier because of her outgoing and warm personality. Olivier “always has time for everyone, regardless of whatever may be going on,” Nguyen said.

She recalled a time that Olivier reached out to her, a memory that has stayed with her ever since. “It was last year, and I was having trouble doing homework because my hallway was too loud. I was complaining to somebody else about it and she, without knowing me very well, said ‘Come to my room and study. It’s quiet there.’ I was a new student, so her reaching out to me was incredibly nice,” Nguyen said.

Bruno Jacob ‘14 agreed with Nguyen and recalled a similarly touching encounter with Olivier. Coming from Brazil, Bruno said he was never able to fully adapt to the Exeter winter and was, as a result, often melancholic during the cold season. He was sitting alone in the dining hall one night after an International Student Advisory Board meeting ran late. Olivier was at the meeting as well and without ever meeting or speaking before, Olivier sat down next to Jacob and simply began talking to him.

“In that first encounter, Jeanne reminded me of how uplifting laughing could be. What made me laugh then, and continues to cheer me today, is her ability to propagate happiness with her own endless vivacity,” Jacob said.

Today, Jacob and Olivier remain close friends. For that, Jacob has described one of Olivier’s greatest strengths as “her audacity to sit in front of a stranger and make a long-lasting connection.”

For that same reason, there is no doubt that Olivier’s presence will continue to permeate into Academy life, even after she parts at the end of the year. The friendships she has made, the legacy she has left and the people she has inspired go beyond time and distance. Many will miss her, but many, equally, are happy to see Olivier embrace bigger and brighter things beyond the Academy where she will continue to excel and inspire those around her.