The first time Skylar Bradley stepped foot on Colgate’s campus, she had already accepted her offer of admission. She is senior from New Jersey pursuing her passion for environmental economics. 

Her first impression of Colgate was seeing Link Staff banging pots and pans in front of the Colgate sign on Oak Drive.

“I remember my dad turning to me and saying, ‘I think you’re gonna like it here!’” she said. “[Coming to Colgate] is the happiest accident besides my brother.” 

Bradley found “Environmental Justice” with Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Andrew Pattison fascinating. The class quickly became her favorite because of its relevance to people’s daily lives.

“I think it’s a fascinating, relevant issue that many people are blind to, especially because it impacts everyone whether they realize it or not,” she said.

The class also included a research component and she chose to study an issue close to home.

“I chose to look at the disproportionate impact of Hurricane Sandy on marginalized groups, since I live in an area of New Jersey that was hit particularly badly,” she explained. 

Bradley’s passion is not limited to understanding environmental issues, but also the economic forces that perpetuate them. 

“I worked in oil and gas investment banking this past summer because I wanted to get more insight into the drivers behind the industry, specifically as it pertains to  international politics,” Bradley said. 

This experience helped shape her interest in business and her plans for her future career. 

“If my rap career doesn’t take off, I am really interested in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. I hope to get more exposure to these issues via grassroots initiatives or something like environmental consulting,” she joked.

Bradley, however, did not always dream of working in sustainable agriculture. 

“[I wanted to be]a dermatologist with six kids sans husband,” she said. 

Bradley shared that her priorities have shifted since then. 

“As I enter adulthood and the big bad corporate world, my priorities are about figuring out the next stepping stones for my career path and I’m perfectly fine with uncertainty now,” she said. 

When asked if she had any advice for underclassmen, she said, “my motto is simple, ‘do exactly what you want to do and don’t do what you don’t want to do.’… You have four years here, so shape a life for yourself that you go about and surround yourself with the same energy you want to put out into the world.”