University of South Carolina Senior to Speak at ESU on Relationship Violence

Posted by: admin on February 8, 2016, No Comments

A senior at the University of South Carolina (USC), Olivia Hassler is an advocate who began speaking out against relationship violence after a vicious episode with her now ex-boyfriend left her unconscious and hospitalized. On Thursday, February 25, Hassler will tell her story to empower others at East Stroudsburg University (ESU). The program, titled Olivia’s Story: The Courage to Fight Back, will be held in the Neidbala Auditorium (Room 117) of the Warren E. ’55 & Sandra Hoeffner Science & Technology Center at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Hassler is currently a track and field student-athlete, who competes in javelin, at USC. She holds a double major in criminal justice and criminology and women and gender studies, and excels on and off the track, having earned multiple Southeastern Conference (SEC) Academic Honor Roll awards and All- Academic Status. In 2015, USC’s athletic department teamed up with Gamecock Productions to produce a documentary titled “Unbroken” about Hassler’s story.

The film, combined with her advocacy efforts, earned Hassler the Wilma Rudolph Student Athlete Achievement Award and the Gamecock Inspiration Award. She was also featured several times on the SEC Network.

“Olivia’s Story” is open to the public and it is free of charge. A question and answer session will follow the presentation, and resource tables and light refreshments will be available.  This event is sponsored by ESU’s Office of Health Education and Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD) Prevention, ESU Women’s Center, and the Office of Human Resource Management. For more information contact Alyson Patascher at 570-422-3298.