Student: Olivia Cottrell

Boredom led to brainstorming for Olivia Cottrell.

The East Carolina University junior business major, stuck at home after the start of the pandemic, logged onto ENGAGE to check out student organizations. “That choice to log on to ENGAGE seriously changed my life,” Cottrell said.

Cottrell’s idea to start Women in Business chapter at ECU stemmed from a friend who was involved in a similar organization at N.C. State.

Olivia Cottrell is a junior majoring in business administration with a concentration in finance.

After not finding a group like it at ECU, she contacted the Office of Student Engagement to begin the process of creating a new organization. “Our mission is to bring in female business professionals to talk about their career and professional journey, and to expose our members to different industries. We aim to collaborate with various offices on campus as well as other organizations,” she said. Women in Business has grown to more than 50 members this semester.

Through that experience, Cottrell participated in the Growing Organizational Leadership Development (G.O.L.D.) Series, a leadership development initiative created for leaders of registered student organizations to help provide tools they need to be successful.

In 2020, she got involved in ECU’s Student Government Association, serving this year as treasurer. She also is the liaison from the SGA to the ECU Staff Senate. “My experience and connections that I have made have been so beneficial not only to my growth as a student, but also as an individual,” Cottrell said.

In addition to serving as president of Women in Business, she is a financial peer mentor with the Financial Wellness Hub, president of the Financial Management Association and chair of the Dean’s Student Leadership Council in the College of Business.

And a recent internship with Keller Williams has piqued her interest so much that she plans to get her N.C. real estate license this summer.

Cottrell, who came to ECU planning to major in exercise physiology, began exploring other majors after taking her first chemistry lab. Her dad is in business, and after talking with him and her advisors, she said she decided on finance and hasn’t looked back.

“The College of Business has provided me with so many connections and resources to explore future career options and meet professionals already in the industry,” she said.

Cottrell said ECU felt like home as soon as she walked on campus.

“Driving into Greenville, the city is covered in purple and gold which instilled school spirit before I even became a student,” she said. “The students, faculty and staff have shown me I made the right choice.”

Outside the classroom, she enjoys taking weekend trips, cooking, listening to podcasts, learning French and spending time with her two cats, Hank and George.

Following graduation next year, Cottrell hopes to work in a career that combines her passion for real estate and finance.

STATISTICS

Name: Olivia Cottrell

College: College of Business

Major: Business administration with a concentration in finance

Age: 21

Classification/Year: Junior

Hometown: New Bern

Hobbies/interests: Traveling, reading, boating, listening to podcasts and playing sudoku

Clubs and Organizations: Women in Business, Financial Wellness Hub, Financial Management Association, Dean’s Student Leadership Council, Student Government Association, G.O.L.D. Leaders Series, and ECU Staff Senate liaison/parliamentarian from SGA

FAVORITES

Favorite hangout: My house

Favorite place on campus: The Financial Wellness Hub

Favorite place to eat: The Rickhouse

Favorite class: The BUSI Series 1200-4200

People who influenced you the most: Aleshia Hunt and Rachel Anthony

Favorite TV show: “Grace and Frankie”

Favorite Podcast: Other People’s Lives, American Scandal

MOTIVATIONS

Dream job: Commercial real estate financial analyst, real estate investor

What advice do you have for other students? Join student organizations, whether they are related to your major, minor, personal interests or hobbies. Making the choice to get involved changed my ECU experience.