Corinne Olson

Tell us about the career path that led you to your current job.

After studying Business Administration at ICC, I transferred to ISU with the intention of studying Finance. One semester in was enough to realize it wasn’t a good fit, and I changed majors to Recreation Management, with an interest in working with logistics for events and conferences. My first professional job was in the Sales Department at Embassy Suites in East Peoria, booking and detailing corporate meetings and events. Meanwhile, a friend of mine was working for St. Jude, and I loved hearing about their work. I was fortunate to catch an opening with the Peoria St. Jude office shortly into my professional career and am now coming up on 8 years with the organization. Because the office in Peoria covers all of Central and Southern Illinois as well as the state of Iowa, I have had incredible opportunities to develop a wide variety of fundraising programs and share the mission of St. Jude with a range of demographics.

How did ICC shape your future or help you attain your professional goals?

As a high school student, I was uncertain of what I wanted to study or career to pursue. ICC provided an affordable, quality education and gave me plenty of opportunities to explore career options and education paths.

What advice would you give current students at ICC to succeed?

The relationships you build are as important as coursework. Show up a few minutes early, stay a few minutes late, utilize office hours, ask a classmate to get coffee… you never know where those little connections will take you! ICC was a great fit for me for my first years of college. I’m grateful to have had this incredible resource right in my backyard.