Olivia Zapf

Olivia Zapf is a history and political science double major from Green Bay, WI

Hometown: Green Bay, WI

Year: Expected graduation: 2026

What did you want to be when you were growing up? Are you pursuing that as a major, or have you taken another path?
As a little kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian because I wanted to help animals. Later, I wanted to become an author and write books and scripts. I have chosen to pursue neither career; however, I do still enjoy being around animals and writing. Instead, I have chosen to become a history major and political science minor to later pursue a degree in law. I hope to be a lawyer to better the lives of individuals in my future community.

What is your major (and/or minor) and why did you decide on this course of study?
I am a history major and political science minor. I chose history because I had really, really inspirational teachers for my AP European History and AP United States History classes in high school. Additionally, I was really good at it and enjoyed learning about the past and how it can affect the present and future. For my political science minor, I really like studying politics and how they work, so I can be an informed voter and understand the system, while helping others learn about it, too.

Have you conducted your own research through Research Rookies, Honors capstones or theses or any other faculty-guided research opportunity?
Yes

Tell us about the research you are doing and why it interests you.
Currently, I'm in the Research Rookies program and working with Dr. Hanley in the history department about the South Carolina rice trade in the 18th century. This research is interesting to me because it has to do with all parts of life — economics, politics and society. In education generally, these three have been pretty separated, and it's interesting to see them all come together through the South Carolina rice trade.

How has conducting research strengthened your education and experience at NIU?
I'm learning how to do research, annotate articles, write academic papers and work with a research team. Educationally, a lot of the skills I'm learning will help me in future classes and in doing my own synthesizing and questioning rather than taking sources completely at face value, which I think is really important. Regarding my NIU experience, I'm getting connected and learning how to use resources that I would have learned way later; luckily, I have access to these resources now and can learn to use them.

How will your research experience help you in the future?
In the future, both in undergraduate and law school, I will need to be able to read, synthesize and write effectively. Outside of that, I will need to be able to bring sources together to create and defend an argument as a lawyer. By doing this research now and learning how to bring logical arguments together, I can focus on making those skills better rather than creating them. This experience is showing me, in a guided way, how to work through research and places of inquiry in an efficient and effective way.

Who at NIU has been important to your success doing research and why?
The professor I'm working with, Dr. Anne Hanley from the history department, is my faculty mentor and has been really beneficial to my success in research because she is both giving me guidance and letting me have autonomy in how I do different aspects of the research. She is also really understanding when circumstances come up, which I really appreciate. Life happens to all of us and being able to work through and around that is really important to me. Additionally, I wouldn't have been able to work on this project without her.

What advice would you give to an incoming student as it relates to research at NIU?
This is a tough one because there's a lot of advice that I could give. I think my biggest piece of advice is to know, at least generally, what you're interested in and reach out to professors with similar interests. On their faculty pages, they will have their interests or ongoing research, and simply sending them an email can give you a really good connection. They don't have to be within your field, and you don't have to have them as a professor. They will, most likely, be happy to talk with you!

What has been something you have found pleasantly surprising about your experience at NIU?
All of the faculty members I've met or had in class have been lovely people. They really do care about their students and the content they're teaching. Sometimes, teachers are noticeably unhappy or nonchalant about the content they teach, but everyone I've interacted with has been passionate and can help connect me with resources/opportunities I may not have known about, which has been really nice and beneficial for me.

How have you connected with other students to study for classes, meet new people or form new friendships?
The most important thing to remember about this is that everyone is in the same boat about talking to people in class. If someone gives you a good vibe, talk to them! Ask them a question, compliment them or anything else. People are usually pretty nice, and if you're in the same class, you definitely might have similar interests. Don't be afraid to talk to people even if it feels awkward or challenging.

Are you involved in any student organizations, mentoring programs or extracurricular activities? If so, which ones? How have they added to your experience as a Huskie?
Yes, I'm the assistant opinion editor at the Northern Star (NIU's student newspaper), am part of the Honors Program and am in the Research Rookies program. Overall, these three extracurriculars are reinforcing and teaching me new skills about management, involvement and research. I'm grateful for these experiences, and I encourage anyone who's interested to take part in any of these organizations/extracurriculars. Or any organization; there are so many on campus that you can definitely find a club or group to call your own!

What NIU offices, departments or resources have helped you feel safe, supported and successful? And how?
Counseling and Consultation Services has helped me work through some times of struggle with stress, and they've been really beneficial. Counseling and therapy can be really nerve-wracking to start, but it's worth reaching out if you need someone to talk to or want to learn more about why you have certain behaviors. Outside of that, the history department professors are all really understanding about mental health and that life happens, which has helped me — especially during my first year of college.

What Honors Program opportunities or support have helped you get closer to your academic or career goals so far?
I'm still pretty far from completing my career goals, but the Procrastination Cafe has helped me attain and sustain my academic goal of having good grades. By mandating a lack of phone use, the cafe promotes a work-centered environment, and I find myself to be very productive when I'm there. They also have snacks and background music, which helps set the tone and keep you in a good headspace while you're working.

What do you enjoy the most about the Honors Program?
Personally, I really like the honors classes. Last semester, I was in the honors section of COMS 100, and this semester I'm in the honors seminar HIST 399 (Montaigne and the Wars of Religion) with Dr. Sandberg. These classes are fun because they're usually smaller and can foster more of a community than most normal classes can. They're a nice change of pace from the bigger classes where it can feel a little bit more overwhelming.

Who has been one of your favorite instructors/professors and why? What course did they teach?
He doesn't work at NIU anymore, but Dr. Jim Hill was my favorite professor. He taught POLS 210: Law and the Courts and had such an interesting teaching style and way of telling stories to help his students remember and understand the content. His teaching style was very student-centered, and class debates were focused on what we were discussing while bringing in real legal principles and arguments, which helped me get a better feel for the legal profession.

How have you benefited by attending class regularly?
There's a real benefit to asking questions in class when you're around your professor and other students. You're also able to experience more than just looking at the slides or skipping class. I've also made some really cool friends who I wouldn't have met if I hadn't gone to class, so I definitely think there's a benefit to going to class regularly. Plus, you get the points for attendance, which are basically free points!

Where is your favorite spot on campus or in the community? Why are you drawn to it?
The courtyard by Davis Hall (meteorology building) that looks over the lagoon is probably my favorite campus spot. I'm drawn to it because when it's nice outside, the fountains and lagoon look pretty, and it's a nice spot to sit and eat breakfast. Additionally, walking around the lagoon is really nice. Geese are usually there, and as long as you're mindful of them, they leave you alone.

What advice would you give to a student who is researching colleges to apply to?
Visit all of the colleges you can, even if you think you won't like them. Having a way to compare different campuses is super important in knowing what you do or don't like in a campus community. Additionally, find what matters to you (academics, sports, a certain major, Greek life), and factor that into your decision. Whatever university you choose will be your home for the next four years, and you should be happy in your home!

Why is a college education important to you?
A college education is important to me because I want to go into a field that requires an undergraduate and post-graduate degree. I think that everyone needs to make their own choice about college, and it isn't right for everyone. That being said, college has a lot of benefits, including meeting new people, gaining independence from your home life and developing yourself as a person. Aside from the occupational and monetary benefits in the long run, college is a really good time to explore yourself and your interests. There are also a lot of cool connections you can make in college that help in the long run.

What strategies do you use to manage your time between the responsibilities of school, work, friends and family?
Honestly, it's a lot of “what is the most important thing right now” and then completing that and moving to the next important thing. Prioritization of tasks is super important when it comes to school, work, friends and family. I think the only thing that goes before all of that is your own well-being. College can be stressful, and you need to listen to your body and take a mental health day or spend a few hours doing things you enjoy, even if there is something that's really pressing. Your first responsibility is to yourself — not to anyone or anything else.

How do you stay informed about events and services that are available on campus?
My friend group is pretty up to date for the most part. Otherwise, I see random flyers about places or things that look cool and go based on those. My CA will also post things coming up on our board/calendar in my cluster, which is really beneficial. Events are always going on, so it's hard to know about all of them, but you can definitely keep tabs on a lot of events through a variety of different ways! As for services, my professors are pretty good at putting information about different services in the Blackboard courses.

What do you do to relax or recharge?
I like to read and write, usually. If that doesn't feel right, sometimes just going outside and breathing fresh air is nice. We don't get a lot of nice sunny days in DeKalb, so I need to take advantage of them when I can!

Please tell us about your job and hobbies.
I work at the Northern Star as the assistant opinion editor, which means my job is to help our opinion columnists write the best column they can before it's published on our website and sent out in our newsletter, TLDR. Hobby-wise, I do a lot of reading and writing, which is also super therapeutic. I also love animals, so I love spending time with my dogs, Shadow and Maverick, when I'm home along with spending time with my family watching football, playing cards or going boating.