Olivia McCash ’17

Film & Media Arts

Biography

I grew up in Central Pennsylvania. I have been fascinated with visual storytelling since I was young. I studied Film and Media Production at Taylor, with a minor in photography. After graduating, I spent eight months living in Liberia, working as a communications intern with an international relief organization. I spent the next year doing freelance video and photography before getting a job with The Christian and Missionary Alliance on their video team. Now, I get to use videography and photography to tell stories of God at work around the world!

What were some of your most valuable experiences at Taylor?

I love that Taylor gave me opportunities to uncover my heart for storytelling across the world. Much of this came from opportunities to study and serve abroad including a semester in Ireland and a J-term trip to Indonesia. Growing my cross-cultural experience and awareness became a stepping stone from one opportunity to the next. I’m grateful I was able to get so much experience in team settings in the film program, leaning into specific roles and learning how to produce client, documentary, and narrative work.

How did your classes or interactions with professors at Taylor impact your growth?

I always felt like our professors truly cared about us. We knew they were in our corner, rooting for us, doing everything they could to help us flourish. Knowing their heart for us gave me confidence to take risks and try new things. They guided me in the way of strong storytelling, but also strong leadership and faith.

How can Taylor graduates use their unique Taylor education and its liberal arts foundational core as an asset in your discipline?

There are so many classes that have served me well in my career and ministry, even though they weren't directly part of the film program. Courses like psychology, sociology, art, and theology have been so valuable in cultivating a richness and depth in my heart, mind, and work. I want to seek to be a lifelong learner, and Taylor’s approach to education definitely instills that.

What advice or encouragement could you provide for Taylor students in your vocational discipline?

I would encourage Taylor students in my vocational discipline to keep creating and confidently moving forward in their own story. Stay curious & and open-handed with your plans. Keep pressing into the path the Lord is leading you towards. Pursue the things you feel a spark in. Take that class that sounds interesting. Go on that trip that sounds compelling. Serve a community of people you have a heart for. Ask the Lord who He’s made you to be, and listen for His voice leading you. You’re going to get where you need to be, and you don’t need to have all the answers right now. We get to keep learning and becoming our whole lives.