Coming to Colgate from Santa Monica, California, Matthew Glick knew this was the place for him shortly after visiting campus. He knew that he wanted to play Division I soccer at a top academic school, however, his campus tour at Colgate sealed the deal.

“When I got a chance to talk with Coach Erik Ronning and walked around campus I started to get that gut feeling that I could really see myself here.The campus is beautiful and obviously the academics are top-notch. [With] the Division I soccer program, I felt really at home,” Glick said.

Living in London up until age six, Glick has made soccer an integral part of his life since he was young. He took the sport with him when he moved to the U.S., and started playing on organized teams with his school and local club. His vision for his soccer career took a turn, however, when Glick tore his ACL during his senior year of high school, putting him out of play for his first two seasons with the Raiders.

Even with this setback, he made the most of the experience.

“I love the team, and I love the guys in my class, so even though I wasn’t able to play physically for quite awhile, I felt like I was making the most of the experience,” he said. “My junior and senior year I started to actually be healthy enough to play. I played my senior year in the Patriot League final, the NCAA tournament, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys or a better experience.”

Glick, however, cannot be defined solely by his time on the soccer field. He is a Peace and Conflict studies concentrator, which is a departure from his originally intended concentrations of Economics and Computer Science.

He also credits Colgate’s liberal arts education with the success of his company, Gipper, that launched through his work with Thought Into Action.

Glick began working with TIA during his first year at Colgate.

“I love entrepreneurship. I love being able to create your own thing,” he said. “It’s very much aligned with the liberal arts education, especially in the early days when you have to dip your feet in to everything and learn on the go and on the fly, which I think Colgate has academically prepared me for,” Glick said.

Gipper, a graphics creation platform that helps schools easily create highly engaging content for social media, will be Glick’s full-time gig after graduation.

Even with accolades such as three back-to-back Patriot League soccer championships, a NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance and a successful business, Glick will also miss everyday aspects of Colgate.

“I think there’s something really special about the campus and the community,” he said. “It’s a beautiful campus even if its snowing and freezing cold. I’ve always just felt that there’s some sort of therapy just being in the space, and the people are really special.”

Contact Hayley Fuller at [email protected].