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Why did you choose Colgate?

Among your many activities which have been your favorites and why?

It’s hard to pick favorites. Each activity is my favorite in its own way, and I love being able to do so many things on campus. Instead, I would have to split them into categories.

• My most memorable experiences have come from . Being able to perform for an audience after rehearsing for several months is very special, especially since I wasn’t involved in theater until my senior year of high school.
• My most meaningful experiences have been as an Alumni Memorial Scholars intern. It is an honor to be able to lead a pre-orientation group and welcome new freshmen to college. The AMS interns my first year were a crucial part of my adjustment to college, and it means a lot to be able to do the same for others.
• My most fun experiences are probably from the club volleyball team. Our weekly practices are fun and competitive, but we don’t take it too seriously and spend a lot of time laughing.
• My best friends are in the (my a cappella group). Through our many rehearsals, social events, concerts, and especially our tour in January, I’ve become very close with everyone in the group.

Have you had a pivotal moment, a mentor, or a defining moment during your time as an AMS Scholar?

The AMS director, Prof. David Dudrick, has been an important figure in my first two years of college. He was the professor of my freshman seminar course, and I took a course with him on in my second semester. I also work with him to plan AMS events. Although I am not majoring or minoring in Philosophy, his lessons from my freshman year classes (and from many visits to his office hours) have shaped my worldview and approach to life tremendously. He is overwhelmingly humble and supportive, and it is a privilege to know a faculty member with whom I can discuss anything.

As someone deeply involved in campus life, what advice would you give to future students looking to make the most of their Colgate experience?

Choosing to live in the moment is difficult, but it is unbelievably worth it. I like to think about it in three different categories:

Take a break. It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of classes and homework, but the time will pass slower if you take breaks and relax in a memorable way. Have a meal with friends. Take a walk in the woods or around the lake. Explore an academic building you’ve never been in. One semester, my friends and I went on a fun trip to Syracuse during the weekend before finals week. Even though we were all worried about our upcoming exams, we got so much more out of that day than we would have by doing marginally more studying. I can barely remember what exams I was stressed about, but it will be a while before I forget that trip.

Try new activities. One of the most unique parts of college is the opportunity to be involved in so many different things. While it is great to continue to play a sport you’ve played your whole life, or join a club that will look good on a resume, some of the most memorable experiences come in the form of outside-the-comfort-zone activities that you try because college is the best place to try them. When else will you learn to ballroom dance, or to fight fires? When else will you be able to go skiing for free, or play in an intramural table tennis tournament? My job at the athletics department came from this kind of inquiry. I have no plans to do professional sports commentary after I graduate, but it’s pretty cool that I get to do it for a few years at college.

Enjoy everything. As fun as it is to take breaks and participate in activities, college requires a lot of time spent in class and working. This is when it is most difficult to appreciate the individual moments, but it is also when it is the most important. Appreciate the sound of the chapel bell echoing across campus (even though it means you’re late for class). Appreciate the sunlight shining through the window of the library onto the page of your textbook (or perhaps, more often, moonlight). Appreciate the professors and assignments that challenge you, and appreciate the knowledge you are gaining, not just for your imminent exam, but for the rest of your life.