CULLMAN, Ala. — In this interview, I talked to Cullman senior softball player, Olivia Britton. Olivia made a lot of great memories during her playing days with the Bearcats and feels lucky to have played alongside some amazing teammates at Cullman.
“My favorite softball memories all revolve the friendships I made. One of those friendships started when I was in seventh grade about to play in my first varsity tournament. I remember being shy and scared, so I would distance myself from the group. On the way to breakfast, Savannah Davis simply reached out and put her arm around me and told me to come hang out with the rest of the team. That small gesture stayed with me forever, and so did Savannah’s friendship. Beating Hartselle in Regionals my junior year was awesome. Hitting a walk-off home run in Regionals to ensure we didn’t go home felt amazing, and is for sure, one of my favorite memories.”
She added,
“When you have good teammates, you have a good team. I learned a lot of what to do, and a lot of what not to do from my teammates. I think one of the most important things I learned, whether it be indirectly or not, was respect. Respect should be given and reciprocated. I think the seniors before me showed the importance of staying in your own lane and not worrying about anything besides the thing we are all there for: softball.”
Olivia will remember so much about playing at Cullman and she taught the younger players a lot.
“I think one thing that I will remember most about playing at Cullman was just the experience and the opportunity that we had to grow as a player and a person,” Britton said. “One thing I pride myself in knowing that I taught the younger players was to stand up for themselves. I wanted those girls younger than me to know that their opinion matters, and that their feelings are valid, no matter what happens on the field. I hope that I taught somebody confidence, because confidence is something that if you use it every day, it will truly change your mindset and the way that you look at the world. Confidence is crucial in softball, especially at Cullman.”
Olivia was in a lot of clubs at Cullman, and she enjoyed every minute of it. She talked about her favorite high school memories and what made Cullman a special place to go to.
“It was exhausting being in so many clubs, but it was worth it. Cullman High School has so many opportunities for everybody, if you’re willing to get involved. Going into high school, I felt pressured to choose a career path instantly. I felt like I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life and that was my problem as a 15-year-old (laughs). After four years at Cullman High School, and getting heavily involved with various clubs and events, I can confidently say that I’m choosing a degree in journalism and broadcasting, because it is my passion. I’m so thankful for my experience at Cullman High School and I would not have done it any other way. Not only the friendships that I’ve made these past four years that will be with me for a lifetime, but the things that I’ve learned in my career field, puts me ahead of a lot of people and I’m very thankful for that,” Britton said. “I learned how to be a professional in a workplace and I also learned how to work a variety of different cameras, microphones, and editing software.”
She added,
“Despite only having two normal years of high school due to COVID, my high school experience was very memorable. I think that my class made the most of the situation that we were put in. Some of my favorite high school memories include: homecoming my senior year, the Mars Hill football game (Garrett Hall’s amazing last-minute save), the Bearcat Nation episodes and all the fun things we were able to do in there, the pep rallies, Billy Barnett’s class, Hilight (school newspaper), all of our fun parties, and so much more. Cullman was a very special place to go to because both of my parents went there and graduated from Cullman High School, so I think it was kind of like a family thing.”
Olivia will remember a very important thing about being at Cullman and she’ll deeply miss being a Bearcat this upcoming year. She gave some advice to the upcoming freshman.
“I will definitely remember taking pictures on the sidelines of football games,” she said. “I will probably miss everyone that I knew. Being a senior, you feel like a big fish in a small pond, where as after graduation, you become a small fish in a big pond. My advice to people entering high school next year is to soak it all in. Always remember that you are in control of your life, your decisions, and how you react to things that happen to you, join all the clubs that you can, go to every event that your schedule allows, and enjoy every moment of high school because it doesn’t last forever, even if you want it to. If you’re ready to get out before you even enter, it’s okay. You’ll survive.”
Olivia had so many amazing role models growing up and she talked about the best advice that they gave her, plus the scholarships that she received, and what she learned the most about being at Cullman.
“My role models were definitely the women in my family, especially my mom and both of my grandmothers. The best advice they ever gave me was to handle tough situations with Jesus and class. They taught me to put others first, no matter what,” she said. “I received an academic scholarship, a leadership scholarship, the Tennessee Valley scholarship, and the Leadership Housing School from UNA, plus a lot more. It was amazing receiving all of those scholarships. It made all of my hard work worth something. What I learned the most about being at Cullman was that no matter what, as long as you stay true to yourself and put God first, the world is your oyster.”
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