Andrew Prieto is a first generation Mexican-American. A senior from Mesa, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, Prieto is the first in his family to attend college. When he applied to Colgate, Prieto knew he would pursue a major in Political Science.

“I had a very influential teacher in high school who introduced me to the discipline of politics,” Prieto said. “Therefore, I knew coming into Colgate I wanted to be a poli-sci major, and after meeting some great professors, who would later become mentors, my decision was solidified.” 

Prieto is not sure what he would like to do after Colgate, as he is currently searching for job opportunities. He hopes that his major will be applicable if he decides to run for office in the future.

Looking back on his time at Colgate, Prieto says the things he will miss most are the everyday conversations that take place on this campus. 

“Everyday I am able to talk to students about the future of Colgate, politics, positive sexuality, Greek Life, etc., at any time of the day,” Prieto said. “It seems that professors have a sense that conversations like these don’t happen as frequently as they would hope, but they would be pleasantly surprised to find out that these conversation are constant. We are 20-year olds who have complete control of our lives in this bubble that is Colgate, but we decide to challenge each other intellectually with our free time.”

Prieto has also dedicated his time to numerous extracurricular activities. Most notably, he is a member of the Konosioni Senior Honor Society, actor in “This is Not a Play About Sex,” activist in the positive sexuality movement, member of Theta Chi Fraternity, former philanthropy chair of the fraternity, former D-1 Track & Field Athlete and former Africana, Latin American, Asian American and Native American (ALANA) ambassador.

As philanthropy chair for Theta Chi, Prieto created the first Party for the Brave event that raised $5,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project. 

“Without a doubt acting in ‘This is Not a Play About Sex’ will be one of the most memorable parts of my college experience,” Prieto said. “It was surprising how quickly I fell in love with its message, acting and the amazing people I met.”

Prieto seems to recognize that Colgate is not perfect, but he thinks people should remember all of the positive aspects of Colgate that make many students proud to attend this institution.

“It was by the most random and lucky circumstances that I ended up at Colgate, but it turned out to be the best decision of my life,” Prieto said. 

“As a senior, my time at Colgate is almost over. But I know that I will look back on my time with a lot of fondness. My one hope is that people can do the same once their Colgate time is up.”