Annika Olson, a senior at Ramstein High School, has found a second home in the Ramstein community after relocating from northern Virginia. A talented viola player, Olson enjoys challenging her mom to recognize time signatures and has embraced the vibrant music program at her school. Despite initially feeling like an ‘infiltrator,’ the military community welcomed her with open arms. In addition to leading her school’s strings program, she plays in a community orchestra and works with a private tutor to refine her skills. Passionate about science, she aspires to pursue a career as a veterinarian while double majoring or minoring in music. Olson advises others to stay in the moment and ‘enjoy the little things. ()

Ramstein High School senior, Annika Olson loves asking her mother if she recognizes the time signature of the music playing over the speakers wherever they happen to be. This is the second school year that the viola player has lived in the Ramstein area. As the daughter of a military contractor who spent most of her life in northern Virginia before she moved here, Olson felt like a “bit of an infiltrator” at first, but appreciates how much the community has accepted her.

“When I found out I was moving to a military community, I was a little nervous [be]cause I didn’t know what to expect. I lived in the same place my entire life, rather than jumping around….Once I got here, I found that military communities are really accepting and welcoming. I was really eager to be a part of it.”

She “really enjoys” the music program at the high school and even trained the new second violist in the strings program. (She is no longer the sole viola player). She started playing the viola in the sixth grade and likes playing the instrument because not many people know about it.

She loves playing in concerts with her friends because she enjoys being with people who share her love of music, “being able to sit together and look at each other during the concerts; shar[ing] the music and then afterwards getting flowers and taking photos.”

Moving to Germany has opened new musical opportunities for Olson. Outside of the school orchestra, she plays with a community orchestra and has recently started working with a private tutor to “fine-tune” her skills. She hopes to one day play in a collegiate orchestra.

Speaking of college, senior year has been “fun, but a bit challenging” for Olson, “doing college applications and that kind of thing. Just preparing for life as an adult and sort of leaving your childhood behind.”

After high school, she wants to go to college and major in the sciences. She really likes plant and animal science and hopes to one day turn that into a career as a veterinarian technician or veterinarian. She is thinking about double majoring or minoring in music to combine her passions.

The disciplines of staying grounded, not thinking too far ahead, staying in the moment and focusing on what is in front of you are ones that she can bring from music to the veterinarian field, according to Olson.

She would advise her younger self to “enjoy the little things” and not to worry about things that have already happened or may happen in the future.