When asked to describe her Colgate experience in three words, a lingering smile appears on Connolly Butterfield’s lips and she answers with little hesitation: “exciting, challenging and educational.”

Connolly will certainly take a great deal away from her experiences here at Colgate. Connolly has dabbled in student theatre, the Newman Board, the leadership team of Sidekicks and Advocates. She excitedly explains that these activities have “helped me learn things about myself,” but it did take some time for Connolly to find her niche on campus.

Upon arriving at Colgate, Connolly found herself particularly homesick. She was far from her home in Monument, Colorado, and found it hard to adjust to both the college atmosphere and the locale. “April Visit Days was my first time east of the Mississippi,” she explains. She recalls her first year at Colgate with more than one cringe. However, with the help of a “phenomenal roommate, and good group of friends,” Connolly quickly adjusted to Colgate life and bloomed into the outstanding student that she is now.

While taking an active role on campus through extracurricular activities, Connolly has also stood out academically. She has been on the Dean’s List numerous times. She even received the George W. Cobb award, which is presented to no more than twenty Colgate students each year. It is given in recognition of outstanding leadership, personal qualities and character.

Though obviously involved heavily on campus, Connolly has also taken her studies abroad twice. As an International Relations concentrator, she traveled to Geneva. She describes the trip as “one of the best semesters of my life.” Additionally, Connolly studied in Spain two summers ago as part of her language minor in Spanish. She urges all students to travel abroad. She wistfully admits that there isn’t “nearly enough time to do all you want to do” and there “are a lot of possibilities, but not enough energy.”

With ambitions high enough to rival the best here at Colgate, Connolly certainly has her work cut out for her. Her post-graduate aspirations range from working for the United Nations to pursuing law. Connolly has undoubtedly gained the skills and confidence necessary to pursue such ambitious goals. She advises first year students, “Don’t stress out too much. You have a lot of time to figure out what you want to do. Don’t force things. Let them happen.”