Scholarship Circle 2024

SCHOLARSHIP CIRCLE

Changing lives one student at a time.

You have made a significant impact on the lives of the six outstanding students profiled here. We are grateful for your support of the Skidmore Scholarship Circle.

These students represent a wide range of interests and passions.

Chosen from more than 1,424 students who receive financial aid from Skidmore College, each has a unique Skidmore experience and will leave the College ready to create change in their communities and around the world. Currently, 52% of our students receive financial aid at Skidmore. These opportunities would not be possible without your generosity.

Thank you for your support of scholarships at Skidmore.

SCHOLARSHIP CIRCLE

SCHOLARSHIP CIRCLE 2024

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The Skidmore education is truly transformative, creating pathways for our students to lead lives of consequence and help shape this world for the better. Skidmore’s students dedicate themselves to this opportunity, learning from outstanding faculty mentors and honing their critical and creative thinking skills. In the studio, on the field, and in the lab, they are developing the confidence to take risks, think creatively, and push boundaries to reach new heights. Thank you for supporting the Skidmore Scholarship Circle and helping to make access to this amazing experience possible with your generous gift.

With an increased need for financial aid on the rise nationally, we are challenged to fund all deserving and talented students who apply for assistance. Skidmore remains committed to meeting the full financial need of every single student we admit — a daunting challenge, to be sure, but one in which I firmly believe.

This is why need-based financial aid continues to be my highest fundraising priority at the College.

Together we can promise to provide the Skidmore education and experience that can help transform our students’ lives and the contributions they can make to the world. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your generosity in this vital work.

– MARC C. CONNER

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I would like to express my gratitude to the donors of my scholarship gift. I am a first-generation, Hispanic student who comes from a low socioeconomic background, and I am so honored to go to a top four-year college, much less one that is over 1,000 miles from my hometown."

SCHOLARSHIP CIRCLE

2024

APPLE ALVAREZ ’24 FORT WORTH, TEXAS Environmental science major. Political science minor.

Student Government Association Sustainability Commissioner.

Teaching assistant for the Chemistry Department. Lab assistant for the Environmental Studies and Sciences Program.

I chose Skidmore because I wanted to attend a small liberal arts college and I heard it had a good environmental science program.

Financial aid also played a huge role in my decision.

I serve as the sustainability commissioner for the Student Government Association (SGA), which is a perfect fit for my environmental science major and political science minor. In this role, I collaborated with the Sustainability Office to create a “green grant” to fund student-led initiatives aimed at improving student life and the campus environment. Being a student leader and working with the College’s administration has been such an enriching experience.

I also work as a teaching assistant for the Chemistry Department and a lab assistant for the Environmental Studies and Sciences program, allowing me to gain new skills and perspectives.

The connections I have made with students, faculty, and staff are so enriching. This past summer, I conducted soil research at the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colorado, with Assistant Professor Kris Covey. I had such a great time, and I am honored to have had that experience.

At Skidmore, I have met amazing people who I hope to be friends with for the rest of my life, including my first-year roommate who I have lived with for the past four years. I don’t know what I would do without her.

After Skidmore, I hope to get a master’s degree in environmental engineering or sustainability management.

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Thank you for the generous scholarship! My Skidmore experience has been wonderful, and every single day I am so happy to take advantage of all the opportunities and resources here. I never imagined that during my senior year I would be the senior class president, work with the Office of Communications and Marketing, serve as an Admissions tour guide, help improve student life, and even share my experience with the Board of Trustees. I have grown so much as a student and as a person.”

SCHOLARSHIP CIRCLE

2024

VICKY GRIJALVA ’24 MIAMI, FLORIDA Self-determined multimedia communications major.

Admissions ambassador. Dancer. Summer Experience Fund internship recipient. Former residential assistant. Social media assistant for communications. Junior and senior class president.

I chose Skidmore because I wanted to go to a college where I was seen as a person and not as a number. I visited campus in my junior year of high school and did the tour, info session, and an interview — and I fell in love with it! As I was walking around with my tour guide, I knew that Skidmore was where I wanted to be.

My instincts were right! The support I have received from my professors and friends has been amazing, and Skidmore has allowed me to push myself outside of my comfort zone.

Some of my greatest accomplishments at Skidmore come from collaboratively working with the College administration in my various roles with the Student Government Association (SGA) to make positive change. I helped bring back the Residential Life Commission to better support the student body and resident assistants. I worked with the dean of students and others to make summer student housing more accessible and equitable. We also added an extra hour for dinner and created a seven-swipes-per-week meal plan, which helped students who didn’t want to be on the unlimited meal plan.

I also worked with Skidmore staff to organize a successful campus celebration of first-generation students.

After Skidmore, I plan to pursue a master’s degree in higher education. Being involved in SGA and working with Admissions and the Office of Communications and Marketing (OCM) has allowed me to get involved in a lot of student affairs work. I have enjoyed being able to provide input to enhance student life, as well as see how students can collaborate with the administration to help make change happen.

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The scholarships that you have made available provided great relief to my family. The financial impacts of the pandemic made college seem more inaccessible than ever, but your gifts broke down the financial barriers.

My family and I are forever grateful and will happily share with others the great opportunities that Skidmore provides."

SCHOLARSHIP CIRCLE

2024

DARREN JACKSON-WILKINS ’25 HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY Theater major. Arts administration and music minor.

Miranda Family Fellow. First-Year Experience peer mentor.

Member of student club C.R.O.W.N. Student representative for Music and Theater Department committees.

I chose Skidmore because I was seeking an interdisciplinary education where I had the freedom to explore many areas of study. To be sure, I wanted to have conservatory-level training in theater and music, but I wanted to foster these artistic passions and simultaneously pursue my other interests.

My greatest accomplishment at Skidmore was being selected as a Miranda Family Fellow, which has provided me with considerably more networking opportunities and career advice.

I am also Admissions’ head arts tour guide, a peer mentor for a First-Year Experience seminar, outreach coordinator for C.R.O.W.N. (Creation of a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair), and a member of the Music Department’s student advisory board and the Theater Department’s season selection committee. These leadership roles are very important to me because they give me agency to create the college experience I want and allow me to create positive, meaningful relationships with students and faculty across campus.

After Skidmore, I hope to have a professional career as an actor or working in the nonprofit arts sector. My scholarships have allowed me to take the courses necessary to begin moving into these fields, as well as the fantastic opportunity to network with professional actors and arts administrators.

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At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when so many things were uncertain, this scholarship made my family confident that I could go to college. I cannot be more thankful, as the Skidmore experience has allowed me to thrive and grow in ways not possible elsewhere.”

SCHOLARSHIP CIRCLE

2024

JACOB LORD ’24 MAYNARD, MASSACHUSETTS Physics major. Periclean Honors Forum minor. Physics researcher, tutor, teaching assistant, student representative, lab assistant. Hillel member.

I chose Skidmore for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, students are highly encouraged to participate in multiple disciplines. I’ve taken numerous classes in interest areas outside of my major, such as history and music. I’ve also gotten involved in projects such as analyzing the aerodynamics of certain professional soccer balls.

I also chose Skidmore due to the incredibly tight-knit communities in individual academic departments — physics, of course, but also German, history, and math. Research groups are easy to join, and the encouragement, compassion, and support that professors give to their students is unparalleled.

I have been able to conduct amazing research and make presentations at symposiums and conferences, including to the Astronomical Society of New York.

Being able to become, as one professor put it, “one of the most knowledgeable undergraduates [in part] in the field of Cosmic Strings” is something I will carry with me as a testament to the enthusiastic learner I have become at Skidmore.

In terms of cocurricular life, I have been extremely active in Hillel and all things physics related. Hillel has fostered a community that has helped me to continue practicing my Jewish identity during some of my most challenging times.

In the physics community, I have thrived and gained experience in research, advocacy, teaching, and mentorship — all outside of the classroom. Specifically, I’ve been a tutor, teaching assistant, student representative at faculty meetings, and a lab assistant, allowing me to engage in multiple aspects of the physics academic experience.

My goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in nuclear fusion/plasma physics and work in renewable energy relating to nuclear fusion. I hope to help aid the process of making fusion an accessible source of energy and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

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I remember applying to colleges and thinking that my family would never be able to pay the tuition costs.

I stressed myself out not only finishing the application but also applying for external scholarship sources. Thankfully, the financial aid offer from Skidmore was more than I had imagined. Thank you so much for allowing me to discover myself personally and academically and pave the way to future success."

SCHOLARSHIP CIRCLE

2024

LIZBETH MENDOZA ’25 QUEENS, NEW YORK Neuroscience major. Sociology minor. Admissions ambassador.

Member of the student club Raicés.

Stepping onto Skidmore’s campus at the start of my first year filled me with a rush of excitement for the new memories and opportunities to come.

Skidmore has helped me to understand that there is always more than one path, especially as an undergrad. Initially, I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I pushed myself to explore new topics, from the arts to the sciences. Creative Thought Matters!

When I attended a computational science conference in South Carolina and presented a poster based on my summer research, it was fun not only to showcase my abilities but to speak with other scientists. I never imagined presenting research findings to such an informed audience so early in my undergraduate career. I’m grateful that the experience was fully funded, too.

Outside the classroom, I do computational biophysics research with Professor Lia Ball, which has allowed me to gain valuable skills in a new field. I am also a student worker in the Office of Special Programs and at Scribner Library.

For fun, I love being a member of Raicés, the Latinx multicultural club.

Not only do I enjoy seeing other people in a shared space where we can share our identities, but it also makes me feel like I’m at home.

After Skidmore, I plan to pursue a neuroscience research career focused on testing the efficacy of drugs and treatments for neurological or severe neurodevelopmental disorders. I am also considering a Ph.D. in neuroscience.

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The cost to attend college caused me plenty of stress, but I didn’t want to settle on a school just because it was the only one I could afford. When I was notified of my scholarship, I felt doors opening for me. A dream became a possibility. I will always be grateful for your support!"

SCHOLARSHIP CIRCLE

2024

JOSH MAXWELL ’26 HOLLISTON, MASSACHUSETTS Political science and philosophy double major. International affairs and Periclean Honors Forum double minor. Student Government Association vice president for financial affairs.

Head Admissions ambassador.

During my college search, I applied to many schools.

From the second I arrived at Skidmore, I felt like I was home.

The campus was beautiful, the people were friendly, and there was a sense of excitement and community in the air. I knew that Skidmore was the place for me.

Here, I have immersed myself in several disciplines and learned more than I imagined possible. I have challenged myself academically, been selected for the Periclean Honors Forum, and maintained a perfect GPA. Beyond the classroom, I am the Student Government Association (SGA) vice president for financial affairs and chair of the Budget and Finance Committee. I love this role because I interact with and get to know club leaders. I also serve on the Institutional Policy Planning Committee, which allows me to advocate for my peers. I am often confronted with situations that lack clear answers and use creativity to pursue solutions.

In addition to SGA, I am a head admissions ambassador.

As a natural extrovert and someone who likes to help people, I truly enjoy connecting with prospective students and families and sharing why I love this place so much.

After Skidmore, I hope to attend law school and ultimately work in government or law.

Creative Thought Matters