People of Ralston: Olivia Jensen, Alumna and Fellow

PEOPLE OF RALSTON: The 2024–25 Fellows

Ralston College is a community of bold and courageous thinkers committed to intellectual and cultural renewal. This series—People of Ralston—is dedicated to introducing you to the individuals at the heart of this ambitious educational venture—students, fellows, visitors, faculty, administrators, and alumni—who bring this vision to life. They are the intellectually creative minds and voices building and sustaining the College, drawn from diverse humanistic disciplines and professional backgrounds.

This first installment focuses on a unique group within our community: the Ralston Fellows. These Fellows, selected from recent alumni, pursue ambitious projects in scholarship, the arts, and public engagement, both contributing to the intellectual and communal life of the College and paving the way for their lives in the wider world.

We are delighted to introduce the second of our two Ralston Fellows this year, Olivia Jensen. Olivia’s project, like that of Mari Otsu featured in our last installment, also spans philosophy, art, and craftsmanship, reflecting the spirit of rigorous inquiry and creative excellence that defines Ralston College.

We hope that, through this series, you enjoy getting to know the people who make Ralston College what it is: a growing community dedicated to truth, freedom, beauty, and fellowship.

Meet Ralston Fellow Olivia Jensen

Olivia Jensen is a maker, scholar, and artist whose work explores how mythology holds the key to some of modernity’s deepest challenges—familial breakdown, gender role conflict, and psychic disharmony. During her fellowship at Ralston, she is examining foundational Homeric myths, particularly those concerning the feminine psyche, and how their underlying archetypes continue to shape our inner and outer worlds. This year, she is deepening her study of the Ancient Greek language as she creates a multi-media reintroduction to the Judgment of Paris, a story which she believes contains potent spiritual remedies for cultural fragmentation.

Before coming to Ralston's Humanities MA program, Olivia studied Political Science and German Studies at Brigham Young University, working as a research assistant analyzing ideological shifts in American politics. Later, her passion for youth education led her to co-found a personal development retreat company for young adults and become an independent consultant for families navigating the challenges of alternative schooling. Alongside her academic career, she developed a deep love for craftsmanship, fine art, and classical piano. For Olivia, making—whether in art or construction—is an essential complement to intellectual life.

As she observes: “For me, the Ralston Fellowship has been a profound gift of space—space to retreat from the world for a time, immerse myself in contemplation, and reemerge with a project that I hope will bring this generation back into contact with essential ancient truths through myth. Those who selected me for this opportunity believed I had an idea with the potential to impact the world, if I only had the right conditions to develop it further. I realize I am a very lucky participant in a revival of the ancient and medieval tradition of scholarly patronage, out of which some of the greatest works of Western humanities have emerged. The fellowship has enabled the rare yet necessary intellectual immersion to undertake serious inquiry while maintaining creative integrity.”

We invite you to enjoy Olivia’s recent performance of Handel’s Lascia ch’io pianga alongside the accomplished soprano Kristi Bryson at our Renewal and Renaissance Symposium, held in part at the Telfair Academy, on February 1st. This remarkable event featured a distinguished lineup of speakers, including the renowned cultural commentator and author Douglas Murray. A full release of all event recordings will follow soon; in the meantime, we are pleased to share this special prelude.