From Madison County EMS to Habitat for Humanity, cultural organizations and more, Arianna Stolowitz has dedicated her undergraduate career to helping others. A senior majoring in Global Public and Environmental Health, Stolowitz has built a college experience centered on service, leadership and community engagement.
Stolowitz began volunteering with emergency medical services (EMS) when she was 15 and was determined to continue that work at Colgate University, reaching out to the student coordinator for Southern Madison County Ambulance Corps (SOMAC) the minute she set foot on campus. She later became a student coordinator herself and strengthened the student training program during the organization’s transition from SOMAC to Madison County EMS.
“Connecting with people and actively engaging in conversations that strengthen communities [have] always been a passion of mine,” Stolowitz said. “Coming to Colgate, with its extensive network of opportunities to get involved both on and off campus, allowed me to continue doing exactly that.”
Stolowitz has dedicated significant time to EMS, volunteering from 20 to 50 hours per week amounting to more than 1,000 hours of service by the time she graduates. While the work is demanding, it allows her to stay grounded and has provided a richer understanding of the realities of healthcare work.
“People often joke about how many hours I spend at the station, but I find refuge while volunteering and see it as something that has become a part of who I am,” Stolowitz said. “Responding to calls throughout Madison County has allowed me to see life outside of the ‘Colgate bubble’ and understand how social factors, access and circumstance shape health outcomes.”
Along with her EMS work, Stolowitz has served as a Haven Ambassador and received the Haven Impact award last year, showcasing her ability to balance an intense extracurricular schedule with a rigorous course load.
“Rather than seeing service as separate from my academic life, I viewed it as an integral part of my education. The leadership and real-world experiences I gained through volunteering complemented why I was in certain classes,” Stolowitz said.
Even breaks from school don’t mean a break from giving back. Last year, Stolowitz participated in an alternative spring break trip hosted by the Max A. Shacknai Center for Outreach, Volunteerism and Education, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in Taos, N.M. She recalled an especially formative experience when she sat down to eat with the family who would receive the home she helped to build.
“Hearing about their experiences and the stability that having a home had brought to their lives was incredibly powerful — their openness and vulnerability made a lasting impression on me,” Stolowitz said. “It reminded me that service is not just about the physical, more tangible work we do, but about the relationships and trust that form between people. I feel extremely blessed to have had that experience through Colgate.”
Stolowitz is thankful for her diverse experiences, which have expanded her definition of what service is and can look like.
“These experiences reinforced that service is not limited to one form of work and it can include direct care, education, advocacy and community building,” Stolowitz said. “Colgate also encouraged me to think more critically about the broader meaning of service, including ideas of reciprocity and responsibility within communities.”
Stolowitz urges fellow students to get involved and explore opportunities that resonate with them, while also reflecting on their motivations for participating in service.
“I would encourage students to approach service with humility, curiosity and authenticity. Volunteering should not be about building a resume — it should be about building relationships and contributing to a community,” Stolowitz said.
After graduation, Stolowitz plans to continue helping others through the medical field by serving as a Special Operations Independent Duty Corpsman in the military.
“Even on the harder days, every time I walk into the station, I am reminded how much of a privilege it is to care for others,” Stolowitz said.
