Trish Svensen

Patricia "Trish" Svensen is a contestant from Survivor: Trinidad.

Profile
Name (Age): Patricia “Trish” Svensen (54)

Current Residence: Toledo, OH

Occupation: Chemistry Professor

Claim to Fame: Successfully campaigning for Ohio University to devote far more resources to the chemistry program that I oversee, as well as the sciences in general. It was often difficult for me to give any sort of meaningful education for higher-level classes with the minimal funds I was allowed to use, but now, a healthy amount of successful chemistry majors are conducting research at the university or leaving school to begin strong careers.

Inspiration in Life: Helen Keller, easily. I mean, she was definitely inspirational for the obvious reasons that everybody knows - she managed to lead a very successful and accomplished life despite being both deaf and blind from a young age, advocating for the needs of disabled people in the U.S. (smiles) A lot of people might not know that she also founded the ACLU and fought for women’s suffrage, or that she was a radical socialist. (laughs) That’s a great track record to have, and I’d feel my life is complete if I had even a third of her achievements.

Hobbies: There’s a local disability advocacy group that hosts a lot of ASL (American Sign Language) socials like brunches, dinners, dances, and so on. I love attending those and getting to meet new people while also having an excuse to use ASL. (laughs) A more guilty pleasure of mine is watching people like Alex Jones spew pseudoscience so I can make fun of them. That always makes for a good time! (laughs)

Pet Peeves: I really don’t like it when people refuse to get to know somebody because they seem too (finger quotes) “weird” based on first impressions. I mean, I might be selfish here since I’m often the one that gets seen as weird, but the quirks and differences people have are what make them interesting! I’d much rather be friends with somebody who goes outside the lines. Spice it up a little!

3 Words to Describe You: Evidence-driven, considerate, & open-minded

If you could bring 3 things on the island with you, what would you bring and why?: An umbrella, both for when it rains and when I desperately need some portable shade. I think a lot of people underestimate just how awful it is being in the sun all day on a tropical island. (frowns) I’d also want to take a bar of soap for hygiene purposes, and a Mahjong set for boredom purposes.

SURVIVOR Contestant you are most like: I think I’m like Christine Teal from Uruguay. I do think I’ll have the social game down from the get-go, and that was Christine’s forte. I’m hoping that I can play like her, but in a more subtle way where I don’t get voted out at the end for being too likable. Hopefully my eccentric nature will make that a little easier. (laughs)

Reason for Being on SURVIVOR: My younger brother has gotten sick recently, and he can’t afford the medical bills that it takes to get better. I mean, it was bound to happen eventually, the guy’s over 50 and has had a terrible alcohol habit for over 20 years now. (frowns) Still, knowing that he could pass away if he can’t cough up the money is what motivated me to apply to this show out of desperation. I mean, I do watch Survivor and I like the show, but I never thought in a million years I’d actually be on it!

Why you will be the Sole Survivor: Beyond having a compelling reason to win, I am a likable person to most people and I’m able to get to know others on a personal level. I can also be friends with pretty much anybody, no matter how out there they might be. That gives me the social game advantage, but even better, it lets me use certain aspects of people to convince them to join my side. Appealing to people’s values might sound a little devious and manipulative, but I’m not afraid to be either of those things if it means I can help my brother out and win a game that I’m a pretty big fan of.