As a student athlete, senior Kirsten Lalli has learned to balance a demanding schedule of both academics and athlet­ics. The field hockey player recently re­tired as the goalie for the women’s field hockey team for the past four years.

“I knew college would be my last chance to play a sport like that. Col­gate competes at the Division I level, but also has good academics,” she said. “I visited Colgate and really liked the feel of it. Everyone was really friendly and I met people that I felt I could connect with.”

Lalli was attracted to the community feel that Colgate embodies.

“At Colgate, it’s easy to match a name with a face and not just be a number. Whether it’s an organization or a class, everyone gets associated with something and everyone gets to know each other,” she said.

The molecular biology major from Pound Ridge, New York has made an impact on campus outside of the athlet­ic field. Lalli has been a member of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee since her sophomore year, tutored a se­mester for the biology department and is currently the President of Beta Beta Beta, Colgate’s biology honor society.

Although Lalli wasn’t able to go abroad, this past January the senior went to Uganda with two geography professors and directed student research under the AMS Fellowship, focusing on community health research.

For advice to others, Lalli recommends that everyone get involved and take advantage of what Colgate has to offer.

“Try to get involved in different things. It’s easy to find your niche where it’s comfortable, but it’s nice to meet other people and branch out,” Lalli said.

Looking back on her four years, Lalli will always remember her first Spring Party Weekend and every year she looks forward to the Giants of Science performance.

After graduation, Lalli plans to head into the work field and ideally would like to work in law enforcement. The senior finds it hard to believe she will soon be leaving Colgate and facing the real world.

“It’s really surreal. Going out into the real world seems bizarre. I feel it hasn’t hit me yet that this could be my last time in school. Balancing everything has been a worthwhile skill developed at Colgate and a life skill for the future.”