Olivia May: Running Toward a Bright Future
MARC STEWART / Coeur d'Alene School District | Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 1 month AGO
May
For Olivia May, the next race starts nearly 2,500 miles from home.
The Coeur d’Alene High School valedictorian and state champion runner is headed to New York University, where she will study pre-health sciences while competing on the university’s cross country and track and field teams.
“It’s such an amazing opportunity,” said Olivia. “I am going to miss my family because it’s so far away, but I know they will be supporting me and cheering me on as I go.”
The move will take her from North Idaho to one of the largest and most dynamic cities in the world, a transition she is eager to embrace.
“I am excited to experience something totally new from Coeur d’Alene,” said Olivia. “I visited NYU in December. I met the team and they were super kind. I felt something about the campus that felt really good and I could be there for the next four years.”
Olivia earned valedictorian honors at Coeur d’Alene High School with a 4.519 grade-point average. She credits her teachers and classmates for helping shape her high school experience.
“I am super honored to be with my classmates in the top 10,” said Olivia. “I am proud of myself and my class. Graduating in itself is a big accomplishment.”
Her success in the classroom mirrored her accomplishments on the course. Olivia won the Idaho 5A state cross country championship as a sophomore.
“I love running and being a part of a team is what drives me,” said Olivia. “Getting to be part of a community where everyone works hard is inspiring. I am really happy that I get to continue running at the college level.”
May said some of her favorite classes included AP Art, AP History and AP Chemistry, while calculus proved to be her most challenging subject. Those academic experiences, combined with time spent volunteering at Kootenai Health, helped shape her future goals.
Olivia's volunteer work gave her a firsthand look at the health care field. She spent time working in the hospital gift shop, escorting patients and visitors throughout the facility, and eventually had the opportunity to assist nurses with hands-on tasks.
“It was really interesting being in a hospital environment,” she said. “It got me thinking about health sciences and what I might want to do.”