Student Stories
With over 100 clubs to join, 44+ majors to study, hundreds of faculty members to learn from and 2,700 students to befriend, there are a lot of stories to tell at Skidmore.
Thinking of adding a language to your studies? Learn about how admissions ambassadors Rachel Alliker 鈥�24 and Madison Sadler 鈥�24 incorporated language learning into their academic journeys.
For years, Christianna Poblete '26 of Akron, Ohio, trained to be a professional dancer. But in her senior year of high school, she was no longer sure about the future. She writes that Skidmore allowed her to continue to pursue dance while also exploring other interests. She rediscovered her passion for dance and found new interests along the way.
Francie Wharton 鈥�25 shares how her summer research experience changed how she saw her future, and how her time at Skidmore got her there.
For more than three decades, some of the wittiest and wackiest performers from colleges across the country flock to Skidmore for a weekend of laughs at the largest collegiate comedy festival in the nation. It's no joke that the annual National College Comedy Festival (affectionately known as 鈥淐omfest鈥�) is a seriously important tradition on Skidmore鈥檚 campus.
Grace Mahon 鈥�26 has never really considered herself particularly religious but has found programs offered by Skidmore鈥檚 Office of Religious and Spiritual Life invaluable as she has navigated the transition to college life. Yoga classes through Skidmore鈥檚 Mindfulness Program have helped her manage stress and bond with peers. It鈥檚 one of numerous ways that Skidmore supports spiritual and religious growth and fellowship on campus.
Writing at the start of the second semester of her senior year, English major and Davis United World College Scholar Anesu Mukombiwa 鈥�24 reflects on her unexpected path from Zimbabwe to Saratoga Springs, New York, with stops in Greece and China along the way. 鈥淚鈥檓 here now,鈥� she writes, 鈥淎nd some days I can hardly believe it.鈥�
No one expects you to have it all figured out on day one. At Skidmore, exploration and discovery of new passions is all part of the process. Peer ambassadors Braedon Quinlan 鈥�24 and Cadence Trach 鈥�24 saw their plans for the future and majors evolve during their academic journeys.
At Skidmore you can do both 鈥� that means having full control to explore all of your interests. And who better to demonstrate this than our admissions ambassadors? Here are three peer ambassadors who are truly doing the most with their college experiences.
Peer mentors made a positive impact on their first-year experiences; now these upperclassmen are paying it forward, collaborating with Scribner Seminar professors and taking on a guiding role to support new students' transition to college academics and life.
Students in Distinguished Artist-in-Residence Joel Brown鈥檚 Songwriting Workshop perform at Caffe Lena, the longest continuously running folk music venue in the United States and a mecca for some of the biggest names in folk.
The two-sport athlete and business major has learned about leadership, teamwork, and what it takes to persevere. 鈥淚 love the opportunity to be a team captain,鈥� he says. 鈥淚鈥檓 lucky. It鈥檚 a template for real life.鈥�
Scribner Seminars, which blend disciplines and help students adjust to the rigors of academic life at Skidmore, are an example of what makes learning at the College so unique. Charlotte Mahn 鈥�25 sits down with three professors to discuss their experiences with the program and what they鈥檝e learned while teaching first-year students.
Catie Hamilton 鈥�25, an American studies major with Periclean Honors Forum and business minors, reflects on her experience in Skidmore's Outdoor Orientation Program (SCOOP), an optional pre-orientation program. 鈥淭he bonds created through SCOOP are lasting,鈥� she says.
How do you find your community at college? Skidmore has more than 100 clubs, where you can make friends and explore your passions. You can even create your own. Here are a few where Skidmore students have found their niche.
Worried about picking the right school? Liz Bracht '24 was unsure, too. But after she settled into campus and college life at Skidmore, she knows she made the right choice. 鈥淎t Skidmore, I think I鈥檝e been able to adapt and grow in a way that feels very true to myself,鈥� she says.
Alex Carney 鈥�22 entered Skidmore with a primary interest in music. He ended up pursuing a triple major with a degree in mathematics and physics from Skidmore and a Bachelor of Engineering from Dartmouth College as part of a dual-degree program.
Eve Kreshtool 鈥�23, a New York-based alumna pursuing a career in the arts, says serving as chair of the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum Student Advisory Council allowed her develop her own unique set of leadership skills. She thanks the Tang staff and her colleagues for helping her grow.
Lucy Scribner Library聽invites first-year Skidmore students to imagine that an attempted art robbery has left beloved library mascot Scribbler Squirrel trapped. As students rush to free Scribbler in a fun, escape room-themed activity, they discover Scribner Library is much more than just a building with thousands of books: It鈥檚聽a hub of campus life and, with its cozy and inviting atmosphere, a home away from home.
Charlotte Mahn 鈥�25 interviews faculty member聽and podcaster Christine O鈥橠onnel about Skidmore鈥檚 John B. Moore Documentary Studies Collaborative (MDOCS) and the art of audio documentary in this audio feature. MDOCS 鈥渋s for anyone who wants to tell a story,鈥� says the English major.
Although strong science programs are sometimes associated with large research universities, Jacob Lord '24 picked Skidmore to pursue his interest in physics. Thanks in part to the encouraging and collaborative environment he found here,鈥痟e is now on track to be among the first published undergraduates in the field of cosmic string research.
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