Celebrating our colleagues: Olivia Manser
Olivia Manser, Content and Communications Officer, Division of Academic and Student Engagement
She seemed a little like “Olivia Everywhere” during the University’s 150th celebrations after appearing in a series of campaign images, viral social media reels, and a TV commercial.
People still look twice when they see Olivia Manser on campus or are introduced at meetings, feeling they already know her from somewhere. In a sense, many of them now do. She co-hosts the student podcast Take Note with former international student Megan Chin.
It's conversational, candid and gets up close and personal.
“I have no secrets on there,” Olivia laughs. “I have to remember to keep the actual names of my family and friends off the air – or if I forget, bleep them out!’’
The podcast is just one part of her role as Content and Communications Officer with DASE, along with curating a daily stream of vibrant reels and stories on the @uoa.oncampus Instagram account, where she has achieved significant growth in followers and engagement since taking up the reins a little over a year ago.
Olivia is relishing working full-time at the University where she graduated last week (15 May), accepting her testamur from the Chancellor in Bonython Hall, watched by her proud family and boyfriend, less than two weeks shy of her 22nd birthday.
Accepted into the University’s HeadStart scholarship program while still in Year 12, she completed two subjects with distinction, before even starting her undergraduate degree. Today, it’s clear North Terrace campus is her home away from home.
The Take Note podcast prides itself on rawness and authenticity, with the young co-hosts discussing relatable issues and sharing their own experiences, as well as interviewing guests and throwing to student correspondents.
For Olivia, that meant being front and centre in an episode titled Failing and Fallout – drawing on her own first year at University. Flunking a subject threatened to divert her from a “perfect path”. It was a shock for a young woman who was junior school valedictorian, school vice-captain and a “frequent flyer” on the school awards podium.
“You ask yourself ‘how can I come back from this’?’’ she admits. But it was also a robust lesson in resilience, bending expectations to reality and not biting off more than she could chew, not to mention a catalyst to explore the support available within the University community.
Signing up for the Adelaide Graduate Awards program, Olivia was able to log her busy extracurricular life, from maintaining a demanding part-time job to volunteering and outside study, lending context to her transcript.
A fruitful internship led to her current role, which grew with her – from part-time to full time, and taking on new responsibilities alongside Student Communications Coordinator Jo Herraman.
“I love working all over campus, staying on top of everything going on, looking out my window over North Terrace,” she says.
“There’s just so much room to grow at the University. You see people growing all around you. There are so many opportunities.’’
Blessed with high energy levels since childhood and a “crazy” retentive memory, Olivia is dogged in her pursuit of new learning opportunities, whether it’s becoming a fire warden or first aider (she’s doing both), volunteering at her local footy club or Parkrun, or saying yes to most, if not all, opportunities that arise.
“From schooldays, I’ve always been a person who wants to know everything about everything,” she says.
This year, she’s also been accepted into the University's Women’s Professional Development Network mentoring program, which runs from April to November. She’s the first to admit there is a hint of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) in her appetite for experiences at the University, which was always part of her future planning.
“This was the University I heard about, growing up,” she says. “My parents both came here at the same time – they must have crossed paths so many times but didn’t meet until after they graduated. I never considered going anywhere else!”
Truth be told, Olivia grows restless if there’s not quite enough to do. “I just want to make sure I’m across everything that’s out there! I want to know the answers to problems,” she says.
She began her first job at just 14, at a cafe in Blackwood, while maintaining a daunting schedule of schoolwork and extra-curriculars, from dancing to debating, at St John’s Grammar. In her final year, HeadStart fostered a love for marketing that redirected her tertiary goal from Law to a Bachelor of Commerce.
While undertaking her undergrad studies, Olivia also cut her teeth in hospitality roles before landing at five-star CBD hotel Sofitel Adelaide, working side by side with her best friend Liv.
“We did our whole degree together,” she says. “That was where all the dots really started to connect in my uni adventure.’’
It was a happy and rewarding time, during which Olivia built her marketing credentials at the French hotel chain and completed her internship at the University, working with social media specialist Neil Soriano and his team, not to mention appearing in a swag of 150th campaign materials.
“Neil and I were in a photo that appeared on all the posters and even the email signatures. So, people always ask: ‘where do I know you from?’,” she says.
“Obviously, I’ve grown up in the tech age, but my internship made me see social media as a career. I’m not sure it's my ‘forever job' but it’s perfect right now,” Olivia says.
“I am so young, I studied here, that’s what gives me my edge running the student Instagram. It’s so fun to do, and I’m stoked to have picked up a lot of followers – from 1300 when I started to nearly 5000 this month.’’
During her first year on staff at the University, she took out the Rising Star Award within DASE, nominated by boss Jess Bosch.
But if it seems this high achiever is on a perpetual winning streak, it’s not strictly true.
“I’m so bad at sports and I can’t sing,” Olivia admits cheerfully. Happily, this doesn’t stop her doing either.
“Honestly, I never don’t have the energy. I hate saying no, so I just keep saying yes.’’