about me

Name: Olivia Lucille Wilmot

Age: 25

Current City: Belize City, Belize

Hometown: Memphis, TN

E-mail: olwilmot@clintonschool.uasys.edu

Interests: Reading, travel, cheese, Mexican cuisine, wine, cooking, Memphis, Latin American history/culture, grammar (Spanish and English), friends, family, pillows, movies, volunteering, boyfriend, exercising & exploring.

I am a graduate student at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock, AR earning my masters degree in public service. This summer I will be completing my International Public Service Project (IPSP) in Belize City, Belize. I will be working with Youth Business Trust Belize to identify ways to improve internal and field practices in order to serve the young entrepreneurs of Belize. There may also be a little exploring of Central America in my downtime. This blog will track both my work and play while abroad this summer.

During my first year at UACS I worked with Arkansas DeltaMade, an economic development and regional branding program that focuses on raising awareness on the products and services unique to the Arkansas Delta. I anticipating my experience with this great organization helping me tremendously in my IPSP work.

Before getting accepted to UACS, I was an AmeriCorps*VISTA at Volunteer Memphis in my hometown of Memphis, TN -which I adore and cannot wait to return to. As a VISTA I worked on large-scale days of service like Make A Difference Day and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Before that I interned at Friends For Life, an HIV/AIDS resource center where I assisted in the planning of their signature fundraiser A Place At The Table. Somewhere between undergraduate school at the University of Memphis and my public service work, I traveled to South Korea and taught 5-15 year olds English in Seoul.

After returning to the states I will finish my elective coursework at UACS and begin my capstone with Project Green Fork. PGF is an organization in Memphis that certifies restaurants as sustainable by requiring them to do energy audits, compost, recycle, and discontinue use of harmful supplies like Styrofoam and non-biodegradable cleaners. I am really excited about this project, and cannot wait to get started on it.

I am thrilled to be in Belize with a number of my one-of-a-kind classmates, but will be missing the others like crazy. I miss you guys! I hope all is well and you’re having a great time and learning experience!

Big love to my grandparents, mom, Vera,  Leo,  Gia, Cade, Michael, Gale, Willow, Kelis, Mr. Hughes, BGA, Jolene, Scruggs, Wiedower, and last but never, ever least: Tommy.