Recent graduate Zellie Olson ʼ25 enjoys fashion, watching sports and knitting in her free time. She loved fostering community at Blake as student body president and as a member of the debate team.
Q: What is the best gift you have been given?
A: The best gift I’ve been given is my adopted cat, JZ. She’s not named after the rapper. She is named after me: Junior Zellie (I named her when I was 7).
Q: Aside from necessities, what is one thing could you not go a day without?
A: I could not go a day without chocolate. Whether it’s chocolate ice cream, Nutella on banana slices or chocolate lip gloss, it’s always my favorite flavor.
Q: What's your favorite family tradition?
A: My favorite family tradition is when my mom recites a Norwegian prayer before we eat. It reminds me of my ancestry.
Q: Is there anything you wish would come back into fashion?
A: Fashion is one of my passions, so I ponder this question a lot. One of my fashion icons is Twiggy, so I think paisley is a great statement pattern. I also think colored tights should make a comeback, especially under a 1960s shift dress.
Q: If you could take one prop from any movie set, what would it be?
A: This isn’t necessarily a prop, but I would love my own animated miniature self just like Lizzie McGuire has in her show. A mini-me could react to events going on around me and provide comic relief.
Q: In what ways are you the same as your childhood self?
A: I’m the same as my childhood self because my favorite meal is still pasta with red sauce.
Q: What do you miss most about being a kid?
A: I miss the unique imagination that comes with being young. I used to create complex stories with my dolls and conceptualize new planets and draw them. I seek to recreate this special imagination every day.
Q: Who is your hero?
A: My hero is my mom. She dedicates herself to helping others, especially my family. She is incredibly caring, insightful and ambitious.
Q: If you could live inside any sitcom, which one would it be?
A: I would live inside my favorite sitcom, “Modern Family.” There is so much love between the characters I think it would be easy to feel at home.
Q: What book has influenced you greatly? How?
A: The book that has influenced me the most is “Pride and Prejudice.” It has shaped me to think for myself and never change for other people as exemplified by Elizabeth Bennet.