Though Colgate University has many draws for students applying to college, for legacy students, Colgate has the added advantage of being their parent’s alma mater. Having a parent as a Colgate graduate offers students the opportunity to ask them for advice and information, or, in the case of junior Sarah Perlitz, to feel secure in Colgate as their choice of school.
During the college application process, Perlitz initially considered only colleges located in major cities, which would have offered her a very different experience than life in Hamilton, N.Y. However, she decided to attend Colgate because of how highly her father, alumnus Tom Perlitz ’90, spoke of his time there.
“I was very set on attending a big city school so Colgate was honestly not my first choice,” Sarah Perlitz said. “I ultimately ended up choosing Colgate because I knew that my Dad loved his Colgate experience so it seemed like a safe choice for me. I’m so glad I made that decision because Colgate was definitely the right school for me.”
During his time at Colgate, Tom Perlitz studied economics, with his daughter following in his footsteps and declaring economics as her major as well. Sarah Perlitz discussed how the knowledge her father gained as an economics major as well as the post-graduate opportunities the major has afforded him impacted her decision to major in economics.
“I’m currently on almost the exact same academic path that my dad took at Colgate, not necessarily on purpose, but I think I have seen the amazing things that his Colgate economics degree has given him and wanted to achieve something similar,” Sarah Perlitz said. “While I don’t know if I’m interested in the same career path as him, his experience with Colgate has shown me that there are so many different possibilities with where I can end up in the future.”
Sarah Perlitz elaborated on how her father’s experience at Colgate has influenced hers, particularly with regard to her choice to participate in the Colgate London Economics Study Group, a trip he went on as a student.
“My dad always talked about how his London Economics Study Group semester was both his most fun and most impactful semester at Colgate, so I had been hoping to do that same program since I came here,” Sarah Perlitz said. “Now, I’m currently in London doing that same program and it has been such an amazing experience in itself, but even more because I’m able to share the experience with my dad.”
Tom Perlitz added that before she left for her first year at Colgate, he gave his daughter some advice about how to best utilize her time in college based on his own experience.
“[I told Sarah,] ‘Pick your major but also enjoy all the cool classes Colgate has to offer,’” Tom Perlitz said. “I was an Economics major but my favorite classes were 20th century art and my philosophy and religion classes.”
Colgate’s liberal arts curriculum allowed Tom Perlitz the opportunity to engage in a wide variety of academic disciplines and develop a unique brand of thinking. He explained he still puts the cognitive skills he cultivated at Colgate to use in his career.
“I think college is about developing neural pathways and ways of thinking more than it’s about learning a particular skill,” Tom Perlitz said. “I think it’s about finding things you are interested in more than it’s about going deep in your major. For me, I had a career looking after high-tech businesses with rocket scientists and engineers, and I learned that my Colgate education helped me think globally and strategically in a way that those with technical degrees often struggled to do.”
Both father and daughter agree that having Colgate in common has brought them closer together. The two bond over their appreciation for Colgate’s beautiful campus and how it has transformed over the years.
“Whenever he comes to visit, we share a mutual love for the campus, and I love to compare our different experiences with different places and learn how things have changed,” Sarah Perlitz said.
Though Sarah Perlitz has carried on her father’s legacy at Colgate, her sisters chose to attend Colgate’s central New York rival, Cornell University. Sarah’s older sister Ellie Perlitz graduated from Cornell in Spring 2024, and her twin sister Katie Perlitz is currently a junior at Cornell. Tom Perlitz revealed that he and Sarah Perlitz enjoy cheering on the Raiders when they face Big Red in hockey.
“When we are all four together for Colgate-Cornell hockey games, Sarah and I have loved watching our hockey team beat Cornell the past few years,” Tom Perlitz said. “It’s really satisfying. We don’t gloat.”
When reflecting on his time at Colgate, Tom Perlitz explained that he appreciates the connections and relationships his college experience formed.
“It’s all about the community,” Tom Perlitz said. “My first three jobs came through Colgate alumni. Some of my best friends in life came through Colgate. The closeness of the student body and connection with faculty is exceptionally unique.”
