Olivia Han
Artist, Activist, Student
Phone 352-804-2400
Email oliviahan001@gmail.com
Address Charleston, WV
ABOUT
I am a Lang Scholar at Swarthmore College, double majoring in Sociology/Anthropology and Studio Art. Through my experience working with the American Civil Liberties Union, I have developed a strong background in advocacy, research, and project management, providing administrative support to senior leadership while collaborating on key civil liberties initiatives. My interdisciplinary background allows me to approach social justice issues through both analytical and creative lenses, from developing wellness workshops for survivors of sexual violence to organizing cultural events that promote inclusivity. This unique perspective fuels my commitment to fostering equitable, supportive communities.
Working at the ACLU, I have had the opportunity to interview several influential leaders and activists. Here, I am moderating a conversation with Joe Jimenez, author of Hot Boy Summer and overall trailblazer in queer youth literature.
INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
As an interdisciplinary student, I have a variety of interests ranging from...
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Public speaking: My time at the ACLU has provided me with the opportunity to moderate discussions with the ACLU's President and Executive Director as well as a variety of activists and authors.
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Graphic Design: I am well-versed in Adobe Creative Cloud having been Photoshop certified since 2018. As a Children's Design Intern at Simon & Schuster, I gained a wide knowledge of layout and illustrative design.
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Visual Arts: My love and passion for art has inspired numerous creative projects such as the Peter and the Wolf coloring book and the children's book, Rosie Saves the Planet. As an Art Major, I am working on expanding my portfolio by experimenting with different mediums such as fresco and oil paint and pursuing opportunities where I can continue to learn and hone my craft.
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Advocacy: As an Asian American woman, I am deeply involved in fighting for racial and gender equality. In 2019 and 2020, I organized Women's Marches in my hometown of Ocala, FL. Currently, I am the President of the Swarthmore Pan-Asian Association and have spent my four years fostering an inclusive community for our Asian student body. Working at the ACLU has only emboldened my passion for civil rights advocacy and justice.
As a Temporary Special Assistant at the ACLU, I had the opportunity to go to the US Capitol and lobby against the Kids Online Safety Act. I helped organize 40+ meetings with US Representatives and encouraged student involvement in political advocacy.
PROJECT AND EVENT MANAGEMENT
My time at Swarthmore College has revealed in me a strong passion for project and event mangagement. I have honed my leadership skills to spearhead the following:
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Project Artemisia: As a Lang Opportunity Scholar at Swarthmore, I have used my scholarship funding to design and facilitate wellness workshops for survivors of sexual violence. These workshops have garnered attendance from institutions across the Philadelphia area including Bryn Mawr, the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel, and St. Joseph's. Working to draw attention to the benefits of arts-based healing, I have created an awareness campaign dedicated to showcasing survivor-made artwork.
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Swarthmore's Annual Cherry Blossom Festival: Aiming to create a welcoming community for Swarthmore's Asian student population, I launched the college's first Cherry Blossom Festival. Each year, this event has been attended by 500+ community members looking to enjoy food, performances, and student made artwork.
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Swarthmore's Annual CelebrAsia: As a way to highlight Swarthmore's diverse cultures on campus, I led the development of the campus-wide event, CelebrAsia. This formal gathering showcased the talent of the school's Asian students through performance and art, as well as displaying archives exhibiting with the achievements of Asian alumni.
Image of the Swarthmore community members enjoying the 3rd Annual Cherry Blossom Festival
EDUCATION
2021- 2025
Swarthmore College
Bachelor of Arts, Double Major: Sociology/Anthropology & Studio Art
Honors/Awards:
Lang Opportunity Scholar 2022 – Present
GPA: 3.92/4.0
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Passion about climate justice, I wrote and illustrated the children's book, Rosie Saves the Planet, to encourage youth engagement in the fight against climate change.
WORK EXPERIENCE
July 2024 – Present
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), New York, NY
Temporary Special Assistant
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Provide administrative support to Senior Director, National Board & Governance, and Program Manager of National Advocacy Institute through meeting coordination, program development, and student communication.
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Process, track, and manage incoming invoices for National Advocacy Institute totaling $912K and communicate with third-party vendors to set expectations of payment schedule
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Calculate statistical data analyzing National Advocacy Institute feedback in collaboration with the Research Team
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​Redesign merchandise and material branding to emphasize the NAI’s mission and appeal to a youth audience
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Select inaugural cohort of Emerging Advocate Scholarship recipients and design Emerging Advocate training material
May 2023 – Aug 2023
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), New York, NY
National Advocacy Institute Intern
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Planned and facilitated keynote events for 300+ high school students to interact with professionals in the field of civil advocacy including the Executive Director of the ACLU and the President of the ACLU
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Designed Institute-wide mental health curriculum including active and passive programming such as facilitating workshops, managing wellness room spaces, and art therapy projects
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Demonstrated customer service skills through merchandise store management and student check-in
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Managed student data to ensure accurate enrolled numbers, alumni lists, and proper accommodations were met to guarantee an equitable and inclusive environment
Dec 2022 – Present
Project Artemisia, Swarthmore, PA
Founder and Director
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Organize and lead multi-college wellness workshops for survivors of sexual violence under a budget of $12,000
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Design and manage a virtual awareness campaign via website and social media to share mental health resources and survivor-made artwork to a national audience
Aug 2022 – Present
Swarthmore Pan-Asian Association, Swarthmore, PA
Co-Founder and Co-President
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Spearhead 40+ events promoting Pan-Asian student cultural heritage, including CelebrAsia and the annual Cherry Blossom Festival with 500+ attendees, to foster an inclusive community.
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Partner with various Pan-Asian related affinity groups on campus to promote unity and celebrate diversity
July 2024 – Oct 2024
Swarthmore College Orchestra, Swarthmore, PA
Coloring Book Illustrator
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Designed and illustrated a coloring book inspired by Peter and the Wolf, adapting themes and characters from the symphony to create engaging, educational illustrations for elementary school children
Oct 2021 – May 2024
Swarthmore InterCenter, Swarthmore, PA Intercultural Center Intern
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Maximized the campus-wide impact and engagement of the Intercultural Center through the distribution of a monthly newsletter and management of social media accounts
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Organized 10+ programs highlighting diverse cultures and identities on campus including annual Cultural, Advocacy, Representation, Education (CARE) week events
Sep 2022 – May 2022
The Swarthmore Review, Swarthmore, PA
Books Editor
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Provided constructive criticism of media reviews, poetry, short stories, personal essays, and analytical essays to ensure high-quality, engaging content for diverse campus readership.
June 2022 – Aug 2022
Simon & Schuster, New York, NY
Children’s Production Art and Design Intern
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Created book jacket concepts using Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign and critiqued book jacket drafts in collaboration with Art Directors; pitched final design for Middle School & Other Disasters: Worst Love Spell Ever
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Conducted talent research and created pitch-decks of up to 10 illustrators per manuscript to present to Art Directors
Sep 2020 – Nov 2020
Cynthia For House Campaign, Ocala, FL
Campaign Intern for Cynthia Dela Rosa
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Demonstrated interpersonal skills by connecting with voters on a grassroots level through phone-banking, protest organizing, data analysis, and door-to-door canvassing using miniVAN