Senior Rodney Agnant from Brooklyn, NY has made his mark on Colgate, involving himself in multiple organizations and pursuing leadership opportunities along the way.

Agnant is a concentrator in French and minors in psychology. He is a member of Konosioni, the Sojourners Gospel Choir, the group that puts on Gospel Fest, the theater group, Masque and Triangle, the Newman Community, Colgate Christian Fellowship, the Secular Association of Skeptical Students (SASS) and Brothers. He also serves on the Organization Advisory Committee (OAC).

As a second-semester senior, Agnant no longer holds any leadership positions. However, he was the President and the Alumni Affairs Coordinator of Brothers, as well as the Small Group Coordinator and Vice President of the Colgate Christian Fellowship.

Like many upperclassmen at Colgate, Agnant chose to study abroad last spring. He went to Dijon, France.

“Being in France gave me a much greater appreciation for cultures and the perspectives that people hold about life and the world at large. This caused me to consider how differences in cultures affect people on a day-to-day basis, and this influenced me to seek out conversations with groups such as the Anti-Racist Coalition, Black Student Union and the All-Beliefs Community,” Agnant said.

Agnant’s brother attended Colgate, and attending his graduation largely influenced Agnant’s decision to look into and ultimately apply to Colgate. 

Agnant’s brother also influenced his decision to pursue different organizations and discover his interests.

“In high school, my brother was a major influence in my life. He convinced me to find involvements that will help understand my interests and how I could use those interests to have an impact. This led me to being the President of Kiwanis Educates Youth of Brooklyn Tech, a club focused on fundraising and volunteering” Agnant said. “At Colgate I’ve worked to find groups that focus not only on philanthropy and community service, but also on developing open dialogue that promotes understanding in a community that continues to grow in diversity.”

Agnant said his involvement with the Colgate Christian Fellowship has been extremely influential throughout his time at Colgate.

“In being involved with managing small groups, I developed my core values as a leader, a concerned member of the Colgate and Hamilton community, and how important it is to give out hot chocolate every Friday in the middle of winter,” Agnant said.