Chloe Matonis came to Colgate from Greenwich, Connecticut. She first heard about Colgate from family friends that attended Colgate in the 1970s.

“I wanted a small, classic liberal arts college experience that wasn’t too far from home. Whenever I talked to people who were connected to Colgate, they had nothing but positive things to say,” Matonis said. 

Matonis is especially passionate about languages and sustainability, which is reflected through her double major in Chinese and Environmental Studies.

“I grew up in a very environmentally conscious household, so sustainability was always on my mind. When I came to Colgate, I couldn’t imagine studying anything besides environmental studies,” Matonis said. 

Matonis’ love for language also manifested itself through her participation in Colgate’s Department of East Asian Languages.

“I’ve always liked languages, but realized I knew nothing about Chinese. I was especially curious to learn how Chinese characters worked. I started studying Chinese my first year at Colgate and fell in love with the language and the country’s rich culture and history. I am so thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to learn more about it,” Matonis said. 

Matonis participated in a 2016 fall study group to Shanghai. She returned there last summer to teach English and intern for an ecotourism company. Since leaving, she’s been looking for every opportunity to go back to China. 

On campus, Matonis works as an intern for the Office of Sustainability. She works with the Sustainability Representative program, in which she mentors five underclassman to help them bring sustainability to Colgate’s residence halls. She has also worked on events such as 13 Days of Green, which is currently taking place. 

“Jane Goodall has always been a big inspiration to me, and I’m glad that I’ve been able to work doing something that I love,” Matonis said.

Matonis joined the Colgate Stand Up Comedy club last semester and has come to thoroughly enjoy the experience. 

“Our weekly open mics have helped me improve my public speaking, and showed me skills I didn’t know I had. Comedy is also just a ton of fun,” Matonis said. 

Matonis plans to move to San Francisco and work in technology after graduation with the hope of returning to China for graduate school or for work in the not-too-distant future. 

“Be unapologetically yourself, embrace change and be nice to your parents,” Matonis said in her parting words to first-years.

Contact Jonathan Santiago at [email protected].