Myriam Oliver

For Myriam Oliver, the university motto Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) is foremost in her thoughts, whether she is in class, conducting research, or at her job.

She said, “Ut Prosim means that no matter what I am doing, I always think of how my actions affect the larger community. Ut Prosim means to actively care for your community and take actions that reflect that. I believe that small actions can make a difference. I intentionally embrace Ut Prosim by making sure I am a positive influence on the Virginia Tech community. When someone feels gratitude towards one person, they are more likely to extend a kind act to someone else -- which increases positive behavior on the entire campus.”

Myriam is a senior who will graduate this spring with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Statistics. Since 2019, she has been a research assistant in the Center for Applied Behavioral Systems (CABS), where she has collaborated on research projects, collected field data, conducted statistical data analysis, and presented and published her research.

Myriam said, “CABS allowed me to gain invaluable research experience and find a very positive and friendly community to participate in at Virginia Tech. I think I have equally strengthened and been strengthened by the CABS community. We all want to increase positivity at Virginia Tech and the people within CABS have definitely motivated me to be a better person and strive for my goals”.

Myriam also uses the guiding principal of Ut Prosim in her job. Since April 2021, Myriam has worked at the Southgate Bakeshop, where she has learned cake decorating, hand-rolling pizza dough, and packaging grab-and-go desserts for our dining centers, all with great enthusiasm.

Her nominator said Myriam has a spirit of service, and wrote, “She has demonstrated an eagerness to serve that stands out. She is quick to learn, she takes initiative, and is a very efficient employee. A vital component of serving is taking pride in the work, and Miriam exemplifies this in the bakeshop. Having an attitude of service toward others goes a long way in the workplace. Miriam is a joy to work with because she is polite, respectful, and professional on the job. She has made outstanding contributions to the bakeshop at Southgate.”

Myriam’s advice to others is this: “It’s okay if things do not go according to plan. Be flexible and adaptable because things rarely go exactly the way you planned. If you are open to unexpected possibilities, there is a good chance something amazing will come out of it.”

Next fall, Myriam will be attending Rice University in Houston, Texas, to get her Ph.D. in human factors psychology, which applies to real world scenarios such as driving, aviation, and healthcare. After she completes her education, she hopes to get a job doing research in industry or government.

Myriam, it is a pleasure to present to you the Aspire! Award for EMBRACE UT PROSIM AS A WAY OF LIFE.