A Denver native, Katie Steklac first started looking at northeastern schools to be closer to her extended family in Ontario, Canada.

“I was always much further away from my relatives, and within my four years here I’ve been able to visit them a couple of times each semester,” Steklac said.

She finally set her sights on Colgate where she could pursue a degree in cellular neuroscience. The field of study has always attracted her, striking the perfect balance between biology and psychology. On the pre-med track, Steklac has been able to find a strong academic foundation for her studies at Colgate through activities like working in the neuroscience research lab with visiting Professor Christina Ragan.

Furthermore, her extracurricular activities at Colgate have given her the opportunity to expand her experience in the medical field.

“I’ve always been passionate about going into healthcare and my studies and extracurricular activities here at Colgate have solidified and motivated me to continue pursuing this,” Steklac said. 

During her sophomore year, Steklac trained as an EMT and joined SOMAC, the local ambulance corps. Since then, she’s been able to volunteer over 2,000 hours both on the ambulance and in SOMAC’s administration, expanding the program to more students. She has also worked as a first-responder for Colgate athletics, learning hands-on techniques for treating immediate injuries.

Outside of Colgate, Steklac has applied her talents at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, working at multiple clinical research labs.

In her parting advice, Steklac urges students to get involved in the Hamilton community as much as possible. With four years as guests in this town, time is best spent embracing one’s part in it.

“We live in a truly wonderful town with remarkable residents, and it’s so easy to get caught up in the Colgate bubble and forget our citizenship to Hamilton,” Stecklac said.

So as Steklac advises, be sure to get involved with the community and make your time at Colgate as rewarding as you can. You don’t have to be an EMT to go talk to locals at the farmer’s market or to participate in community based clubs. 

Contact Andrew Kish at [email protected].