Story by Kurt Miller

Olivia Cares knew academics were the primary reason she chose Kalamazoo College in spring 2012, but continuing her volleyball playing career at the collegiate level was surely a draw as well.

In the fall of 2014, her academic and athletic priorities were at a crossroads as she decided whether or not to go on study abroad in France for two thirds of the academic year and miss her junior volleyball season or participate in a shorter spring study abroad program, common among student-athletes.

Cares chose the path less beaten.

"Learning French was my biggest goal—I have a minor in French—so I kind of came to a realization that the longer program was the one that would get me there," Cares said.

"It was hard for me to leave Coach and the team—especially that group of players which had some of my really good friends who graduated last spring. But I had to remind myself the primary reason I chose K College wasn't volleyball it was academics."

Cares, a business major and Dexter, Mich. native, studied in Strasbourg at an international university for six months while living with a host mother, whom she grew close with throughout her experience.

"She had been an English teacher for 30-some years and had recently retired, so she was far and away the person I learned the most from," Cares said. "She taught me about France, vocabulary—I had this tiny notebook that'd I take notes with on words that I learned at the breakfast table and dinner table—slang and idiomatic phrases you can't find in a textbook.

"She took me hiking with her and taught me names of trees in French and she was just delighted in having curious students."

While Cares noted she's thought about the possibility of moving to France for a period of time in the future, she was faced with another pressing decision as her time as a student in France came to its conclusion.

One More Season

With one final year at K remaining before graduation, Cares had to decide if playing volleyball once again was in the cards. Despite her busy schedule including classes, a job at the Center for International Programs, and a job at Bell's Brewery, Cares decided to suit up one more year after talks with Head Coach Jeanne Hess and her teammates.

Her goals for the team weren't restricted to how the team performed just on the court. Being the only senior and being a leader on the team, Cares had higher ambitions for herself and her teammates.

"When I decided I was playing and coach was happy to have me, my goal for us was to win the Hornet Award—which is the athletic department's service award," Cares said. "We decided to do this service because it's a way to be together, do something constructive and gain some perspective that we are so lucky to be able to play."

Every Thursday the team serves lunches at Ministry with Community, Kalamazoo's day shelter. Cares finds time to go there on her own as well where she works in the computer lab and helps people get started with job and social service applications, log into their email accounts and any other area people may need assistance.

Life after K and volleyball

After recently taking the Law School Admission Test and previously interning at Lewis Reed and Allen P.C. with Michael Ortega, an environmental lawyer and a Kalamazoo College alum, Cares hopes to attend law school and eventually practice environmental law. Her experience at K—including athletics, academics, jobs and extracurricular activities—and the relationships she's developed with multiple professors has Cares optimistic about the future.

"I have some professors here that I know will not only give me very strong advice because they know me as a student and they've taken the time to understand what my interests are, but I also know that those people are invested in students' success post-graduation, and they'll do whatever they can to match the two together," Cares said. "Having those small classroom relationships with professors is not something most people have."

Cares plans to begin applying to multiple law schools at the end of the first quarter and also plans to take at least one gap year before beginning her graduate studies.