Three minutes with… Amanda Olivo of Hermiston

Published 3:16 pm Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Were you born in Hermiston?

I was born and raised here. I only left in 2018 for three years to go to college. Then I came back.

Where did you go to college?

The Art Institute of Seattle.

So you’re an artist?

Yes. I went there for fashion design. Now, I do alterations and I make custom shirts. So I have a side business, Olivo Alterations and Design. I work out of my home. I’ll do hemming, zippers and I’ll make shirts for birthdays. I do a lot of funeral shirts, ones with the image of the person on them and lettering.

What’s it like going to an art school?

It’s different. It’s fun. I really liked the project assignments. I’d have sewing projects, and it wouldn’t be like a class with something on the board. You’d be at a sewing machine. Like I said, it was different, and I liked it.

Do you miss it?

I do. I was supposed to get my bachelor’s in Portland. But I took a break during the summer, I came here, met my ex-husband, had a baby and put things on pause.

You’ll go back to school though, right?

I don’t know. I have four kids now. So I’m just juggling a lot.

Do you like being a mom?

Yes.

What do you like about it?

Going to games, teaching them what I was taught. Things like that. There are morals and culture that my mom gave to me. That’s what I’m teaching them.

So you’re a very family-oriented person, right?

Yes. Right now, I’m helping my mom take care of my grandmother. My grandpa passed away last year from COVID. That’s when I stepped in to help. She’s 96.

Such a terrible disease. Have you been affected by COVID in any other way?

We all got it at the house, but it was my grandfather’s passing that was hardest on all of us at the house. That was the big thing, especially for my kids. You know, we did everything with the masks. We were careful. Everyone in the house had it, except my kids and my grandma. It was crazy she didn’t get it.

You’re probably like the rest of us, and will be excited when this is done. What will you do when the pandemic is over?

We’ll have a party. We’ve had parties, but small ones. I guess we’ll just have a bigger one when it’s over. Other than that, I don’t know. Right now, I’m just busy with the kids. That won’t change. I’ll always be busy with them and their sports.