Senior Natalie Pudalov from Westchester, New York has been busy as a Peace and Conflict Studies concentrator and Biology minor in the pre-med track. As she gears up for her final year at Colgate, she hopes to spend her time doing what she loves, whether she is inside or outside the classroom.

“I am excited to … hang out with people I admire, learn information I feel is important and be a part of movements on campus or in the community that are meaningful,” Pudalov said.

Pudalov also interns at the Center for Outreach, Volunteerism and Engagement (COVE) and works as a teaching assistant for a comparative physiology lab. Over the summer, she conducted research under Professor Jimenez studying the relationship between temperature and bird migration patterns in Madison County and the Adirondack region.

“Although I don’t want to become an ornithologist, I really enjoyed learning about something that I knew very little about before,” Pudalov said.

In previous summers, she did the Manzi fellowship through COVE and conducted chemistry research at Colgate.

Some of Pudalov’s most memorable moments include going to Australia on an extended study and studying off-campus in Washington D.C., where she interned at the Executive Office of the President. However, her most eye-opening experience was the sit-in that occurred during the first semester of her sophomore year.

 “This was pivotal because I realized that students experience Colgate differently,” Pudalov said. “Structures, policies and institutions at Colgate should accommodate these differences and help [students] flourish.”

Pudalov is sentimental about leaving Colgate in the spring, but she is excited about her future. After Colgate, Pudalov will be attending George Washington University’s Medical School in Washington D.C.

Pudalov advises students to take advantage of opportunities on campus.

“Smile and wave at people,” Pudalov said. “Go on alternative break trips through the COVE. I met my best friends there. I went to Oklahoma City through Rebuilding Together after my first semester at Colgate and went to Philadelphia the winter of my sophomore year. Colgate can be an amazing place; you just have to find your groove.”