Join me in supporting military and veteran students.

Although my giving page is no longer active, you can still donate. If you would like to provide any additional support, please do so here.

Hello! I am Olivia Corder, and I am a senior at The Ohio State University. I am a marketing major pursuing a minor in Air Science. I am from Zanesville, Ohio, and I have always dreamed of attending Ohio State. One of my mom’s favorite pictures of me is from a Halloween costume from when I was a little girl dressed up as a Buckeye cheerleader. I always knew this university would become home. 

I am a first-generation college student; however, my family has always been Buckeye fans. After graduation, I will commission as an officer in the United States Air Force and serve my military career as a pilot. I am deeply honored to serve on the 2022 Ohio State Homecoming Court and share this incredible opportunity with so many talented and inspirational students. 

The majority of my time at Ohio State has been spent in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, an organization that develops students into leaders in and out of the classroom. Being a part of this organization has given me the opportunity to have a slightly different college experience than most students, often waking up hours before my peers to start my day. Participating in football flag details, weekly physical training before 6 a.m., and getting to travel around the country are just a few experiences that set this organization apart. I also was a member of the Buckeye Leadership Fellows 2022 cohort, partaking in networking, consulting and professional development events with an incredible group of students across all areas of the university. 

The military has always been the path I saw myself taking. I was inspired by my uncle, SSgt. Paul C. Mardis Jr. who gave the ultimate sacrifice in 2004 during his time in Iraq. He was a Special Forces engineer sergeant assigned to Company B, 3rd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in the Army, being a prime example of bravery, sacrifice and character. Ohio State has only continued to build on these values of integrity, excellence and service before self that my uncle had instilled in me. It has always been my goal to be a pilot in the Air Force, from being a little girl sitting on the beach during vacation watching fighter jets fly out over the ocean, to now having earned a pilot slot, I could not have made it to this point without the resources and support that I have found at Ohio State. Many Military/Veteran students like me rely on resources made available by the university to support our different experiences and challenges we face as we further our education. 

With my platform I want to support a fund that is very close to my heart, The Ohio State Fund for Military and Veteran Services. Military Veteran Services provides academic, financial, personal and career resources to students who are ROTC, active duty or retired military members. Military Veteran Services and the ROTC programs on campus account for roughly 2,700 of our university’s students, or 4.5% of the members of the student body. This is a large portion of students who are typically underrepresented in large platforms around campus. 

I would like to be an advocate and voice to bring awareness to the very different lives these students have compared to traditional college students — and support their initiative to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Thank you for helping me fundraise to support those who have or will be serving our country. I cannot appreciate you enough! Go Bucks!