In The Light: Jack Clifford

Wellesley, Massachusetts native Jack Clifford is involved in an array of organizations and clubs here on campus. He is a member of Theta Chi Fraternity, the Student Committee on Providing Entertainment (SCOPE) and Club Rugby. 

Originally an economics concentrator, Clifford switched to a studio art concentration after he decided that he had a genuine passion for the arts.

“I was originally an economics major, but I opted out of that pretty quickly and changed it to a minor. I was taking an intro to studio art class at the time and painting in my free time, so I decided to dedicate my major to art because it was something that I actually enjoyed doing,” Clifford said.

Clifford has spent his past summers interning for an investment firm and a marketing firm.

“Two summers ago, I was at a fixed income investing firm in Boston, which I did not love, so I decided to take a different career path. This past summer, I worked on the Google client team at a marketing firm in New York City, which was a blast,” Clifford said. 

His junior year at Colgate, Clifford got the chance to further pursue his love of art while he was abroad in Barcelona. 

“I studied abroad in Barcelona last fall. It was an incredible three months, and I was able to experience so many different cultures and explore so many different parts of the world. It was especially nice being able to see in person all the pieces of art I love and be able to fully appreciate them,” Clifford said.

Here on campus, Clifford’s passion for art is encouraged and supported by Professor Ross Tautch. 

“I have a really close relationship with Professor Ross Tautch, who was my intro to studio art professor. It was with him where I really found my passion for art because he was very engaging and supportive, and created a very interesting class environment. He is unfortunately not here this semester, as he is working on his exhibition in Prague,” Clifford said.

If he could give any piece of advice to first-years, Clifford says that he would urge them to not be afraid to try out classes that do not necessarily pertain to their long-term goals. 

“Colgate is unlike any other place in the world, so take everything in stride and appreciate every aspect of life here. Don’t be afraid to try new classes that seem interesting and not just because they’ll get you a well-paying job after college,” Clifford said.