Computer Science concentrator senior Ryan Diew has always had an interest in technology and how things worked. 

“I have always been the geeky guy around my household that my parents and siblings would call when they were having a problem with their laptops, wifi, printers and really anything electronic,” Diew said.

Aside from his passion for technology, the Oakland native balances a number of passions and interests at Colgate and beyond. This past summer, he worked as a Student Ambassador at Google. On campus, he is involved in Varsity Basketball, Link Staff and the Thought Into Action Institute. He also volunteers at Sherburne-Earlville Elementary and Hamilton Central School for Adopt-a-Classroom.

Diew credits his role on the basketball team for helping him meet most of his closest friends at Colgate. 

“The student-athlete community is strong, and we all support one another. Everyone is so down-to-earth,” Diew said.

If Diew could change one thing about Colgate, he says that he would change how people close themselves off based on affiliation or membership within a certain group. 

“People tend to group up together here and close themselves off from meeting or interacting with certain people solely based on an affiliation. I have been guilty of this myself at times. I think the ‘Colgate hello’ is incredibly important, and it’s definitely something that we need to bring back,” Diew said.

Diew stresses how important it is to stay true to yourself while at Colgate. 

“The biggest lesson that I’ve learned over my time here, and something that I tell my Linksters all the time, is that it is so important to be yourself here. I promise you that you will find a group of friends that will love you for who you are,” Diew said.

As for his plans beyond Colgate, Diew hopes to focus his efforts on his startup, Trippie. Trippie is an app that allows its users to navigate various airports, eliminating any confusion travelers might have during any stressful trip. Currently, it services the San Francisco International Airport, with goals to expand locations. Last spring, Trippie received $6,900 during Colgate’s Entrepreneur Weekend through the Shark Tank panel. 

“I haven’t really looked for too many jobs yet because I’m solely focused on the development of my startup Trippie. Ultimately the goal is to be able to work on Trippie full time, and I am going to do everything in my power in order to make it happen,” Diew said.