Most Saints choose Siena just once, but Olivia Botelho '27 has enrolled at Siena three times. And this time, it's for all the right reasons.
The University of Georgia's rowing team consistently ranks among the best collegiate crews in the South, and Botelho couldn't wait to be a Bulldog. She was a junior at Shaker High School when she made her commitment to the SEC school official, and to that point, her life in and out of the shell had been pretty much smooth sailing. But out of nowhere, the lights went out.
"I'd be rowing and all of a sudden I couldn't see. Or I'd be talking to someone, and in the middle of the conversation, everything would go dark. I also started having really bad migraines."
Trying to get a diagnosis, as Botelho put it, was "like an episode of Grey's Anatomy." Ultimately, doctors would solve the mystery – a pituitary adenoma. The pituitary gland, at the base of the brain, produces hormones that regulate a number of bodily functions. Botelho developed a growth on hers, which caused the blackouts and migraines, as well as hormone imbalances, fatigue, and other symptoms that are atypical for a teenage athlete. Botelho was able to shrink the tumor through medication, but the ordeal cost her a scholarship to Georgia.
"My junior year of high school was the worst time of my life. I had worked several years for a full-ride scholarship (competing for Saratoga Rowing Association), and all of that was gone. It was the most stressful time of my life for my mom and me. I was in and out of school for a few months."
When Plan A didn't work out, Botelho improvised and came up with Plan B. Plans C, D, and E would come later.
Botelho enrolled at Loyola Maryland in the fall of 2020, but she couldn't actually attend. COVID forced her first semester online, and while she did make it to Maryland for the spring, the experience had been tainted. She decided to transfer, and ideally, she wanted to get back in the boat. The University of Delaware saved a spot for her, but when the scholarship didn't come through weeks before the start of the academic year, Botelho was in a panic and stuck without a college.
"I grew up in Loudonville and always wanted to get away. My mom always told me to take chances, and that home would always be there if I needed it. I never considered Siena, but at that point, I figured I'd go to Siena just for a semester to rack up some credits and then transfer out in the spring."
She did. Botelho transferred to Elon University in North Carolina and joined a sorority. And she hated it.
"I didn't grow up in that world, and it just didn't feel right. I was dealing with major anxiety and then I started having panic attacks. For three weeks, I didn't go to class. I didn't know what to do, and eventually, I left."
Botelho went home to Loudonville and in the fall, she ended up at Siena for a second time. But it still wasn't right.
"I didn't want to stay in my hometown. It was hard to watch people I knew go on to graduate, and I just wasn't in a good head space. I was a straight-A student in high school, and now I'm failing three classes."
When Botelho left Siena for a second time, it wasn't for another college. She needed a break from school and left for the beach. Botelho's brother lives in West Palm Beach, and after four unsuccessful stints in college, Botelho decided to give bartending a try.
"My brother got me a job, and I made piña coladas near the ocean. It was fun for a while, but then I decided I should probably get my life together and finish my degree."
She moved back to Loudonville without plan, but two weeks before the start of the fall semester, she decided to give Siena a third and final try.
"I was actually kind of surprised you took me back for a third time."
But this time it all clicked into place, in the most unexpected moment.
"It was the last day of my international marketing class, and the professor, Dr. Soyoung Joo, told us her life story. She had taken time off from school when she was younger, and it really took her a while to find her passion. It all totally resonated with me. It's the last day of the semester, and most of the students are laughing and having fun, but I'm crying in the back of the class because it was so emotional for me. Eventually, I felt like the black sheep and was constantly comparing myself to others and the typical college experiences they were having. But in that moment, I realized my journey wasn't wrong; it was just unique."
Botelho has developed a close relationship with professor Joo and with Laura Paul, Ph.D., teaching assistant professor of management. Both have helped Botelho score internships that have deepened her affinity for marketing (she managed a social media account for the UCI Mountain Biking World Series in Lake Placid last month). Botelho also worked with Joo and Marie Rice, Ph.D., assistant professor of accounting, this past summer on a research project through the School of Business Social Impact Internship Program. The project was called Digital Financial Fraud and Scams Targeting Senior Citizens, and Botelho contributed by analyzing scam-prevention messaging, evaluating corporate social responsibility authenticity, and developing recommendations to improve digital communications strategies for senior audiences. This fall, Botelho is working two jobs while taking classes two days a week, and she'll graduate in 2027 with her degree in marketing.
"Looking back, I'm glad I tried different things, took chances, and trusted my gut. I'm so grateful to my mom for her constant support and for always embracing each step along the way. I wouldn't have been able to get to this spot without her and her always being there for me."
Siena was always there, too.
