George Washington University Athletics
Summer Spotlight: Kelsey Oliver of Women's Swimming & Diving
7/30/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Swimming and Diving, My GW: Celebrating our Stories
Kelsey Oliver will never forget graduation.
The group of young women had spent the past six months learning job skills, such as hairdressing, tailoring, bead-making and cooking, through the Set Her Free program in Kampala, Uganda. Now, they were ready to take that training into the world to make a living.
"I'd only seen pictures from past intern teams," said Oliver, a rising senior with GW swimming and diving. "Actually being there to see them finish this program and be really confident to show off what they've done was really cool, especially for the girls who had family there. They were just so proud of themselves."
For the past year and a half, Oliver has been part of the group's efforts to raise money for Set Her Free, a non-profit based in the Uganda capital of Kampala that aims to equip at-risk women with the tools to break the poverty cycle and live independently. The GW club provides thousands of dollars to the cause annually via a variety of events and sales from clothing and jewelry produced by the women in the program.
That connection grew even stronger earlier this summer when Oliver had the opportunity to travel to Uganda for a month. She was one of three interns from GW to make the trip to provide hands-on help to Set Her Free.
Oliver spent hours digitizing records to make it easier for both Set Her Free and program graduates apply for funding from government and other aid agencies. She also worked with Set Her Free officials to fine-tune grant proposals that they hope will allow the organization continue to expand its reach and offerings.
There was plenty of time to get to know the women, as well.
Oliver did her best to learn the basics of their native Luganda. She encouraged the aspiring hairdressers to practice braiding her hair and enjoyed sitting in on cooking classes to learn more about the native cuisine.
Just before graduation, a talent show highlighted the clothing and accessories they made through a series of dances and other performances.
"It's really amazing what they can do," Oliver said.
More than anything, those scenes strengthened Oliver's desire to help. She's hoping GW GlobeMed can raise even more money this year, and she'd like to get group members on campus more involved with writing grant proposals throughout the year.
After such a memorable trip, Oliver brings valuable perspective back to Foggy Bottom for her senior season. It's not always easy to balance community service around her workload in the pool and in the classroom, but it's most certainly worth the extra effort.
"I definitely feel like I have nothing to complain about anymore," Oliver said. "We have such a privilege to be able to play our sport in college. Not everyone is going to have that opportunity. If anything, this just taught me to be grateful for every moment and your teammates and your team."
Players Mentioned
