Layla Olvera is a sophomore working toward a bachelor of science degree while majoring in digital communication and media at West Texas A&M University. Olvera is from Houston and is wholeheartedly passionate about pursuing a career within the media field.
Olvera’s passion for pursuing a digital communication and media career began in middle school.
“Well, I started photography in middle school,” Olvera said. “And then I got into the yearbook class and that is when I kind of realized I liked sports photography.”
Although Olvera is a digital communication and media major, it took her some time to figure out the right career path for her.
“Well, I was an animal science major before I figured out that science is not for me,” Olvera said. “I knew I liked sports photography after being in the yearbook class, so I thought about it as a job for a little bit, so then, I switched my major to digital media and I was like, this is way more fun.”
Olvera’s dream career is to be a sports photographer for a professional team.
“I want to be a sports photographer,” Olvera said. “My dream is to work for the MLB [Major League Baseball] but specifically with the Astros.”
Olvera loves the professors who compose Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex, but especially those who teach in the communication department.
“My favorite thing about my major is that I really like the professors in my department,” Olvera said. “The professors are great and since the department is so small, everyone just kind of knows each other. But when it comes to the actual learning content and everything, my favorite thing would be that it’s fun to get that hands-on learning experience.”
Considering that Olvera initially came to college with the intention of pursuing a degree in animal science, she was drawn to their agriculture department.
“So I came to WT as a pre-veterinary major, and I know the agriculture department is really good here,” Olvera said. “But after changing my major, I was thinking about maybe transferring, but I stayed here because of the community that everybody has.”
Fortunately, similar to many students, WT blessed Olvera with many scholarships.
“I’ve gotten a lot of scholarships,” Olvera said. “I also didn’t really start getting into my major until like last semester. So I have started growing in the communication department and started making these connections that I love.”
Olvera’s favorite thing about WT is the community and how nice everyone is to her. Aside from academics, Olvera tends to work as WT concessions for sporting events, is a community advisor in Cross Hall, spends time with her husband, likes to read and spends time with her cat, Carrot.
Olvera believes you should never worry about not being certain about a specific major or career path.
“Don’t be afraid to be indecisive,” Olvera said. “I’m super indecisive whenever it comes to every decision that I have to make. I’ve switched my major seven times, but it took me trying different classes and majors to realize that I wanted to work in the media.”
