The warnings are given. The clocks continue to tick. Time slowly disappears before our eyes, and then the four years that have been spent at college are over. As doomsday (graduation day) gets closer and closer on the calendar, seniors start to realize that they are actually about to become real adults in the real world. It’s time to say goodbye to the only life that has been a privilege for many of them to experience—and mental breakdowns about leaving the Colgate bubble become all too real.
This past week, we had the opportunity to sit down with Isabel Kreitler, a graduating senior and distinguished student-athlete at Colgate, who talked to us about all the ~feels~ she has experienced over her four years here. She described the relationships and bonds she forged at Colgate and the memories she was lucky enough to make, on and off the field. Colgate holds a distinctive place in her heart as her father graduated from Colgate and her twin brother will be walking alongside her to get their own diplomas. It was overwhelmingly evident how much of an impact Colgate has had on Kreitler.
“I am anxious about leaving this place, but I am happy knowing that I have a plan moving forward. I am excited to have new experiences and meet new people.” Isabel plans on traveling through Europe post-graduation for a few weeks. She will then be starting work at IBM Watson in New York City near the end of the summer. As we discussed her future, she quickly assured us both that the people she met here are definitely going to have a lasting impact on her.
“The people who I have met here are easily what I am going to miss most about Colgate.” And why wouldn’t she? As we talked, her house was flooded with pictures of her friends, who looked like they were as close as a family. Her walls were painted with memories that I was assured she would cherish for a very long time.
Among the discussions of friendships and memories Isabel couldn’t not talk about her experience playing on the Women’s Lacrosse team for Colgate. Rounding out her career leading the team in points, as well as earning All-Patriot League honors both in her Junior and Senior year, Isabel talked about how her senior season compared to all the rest. “Being a senior captain definitely came with a lot of responsibility and although we didn’t have as much success as we would have liked this season, I love my teammates and was able to bond with them from a different perspective.”
She talked about the teammates that chose to leave the team over the years, but didn’t dwell on this factor that could have taken a toll on their success. “We lost a lot of teammates this year, which enabled us to get incredibly close. Regardless of the difficulties we experienced, I looked forward to getting to hang out with some of my favorite people for at least two hours every day.”
Realizing her time at Colgate was coming to a close, Isabel talked about the little moments that she experienced here that she will keep with her forever. It wasn’t about her GPA or the job she landed after she graduates. It was about the happiness she got from sitting outside her townhouse her junior year, hanging out with all the different groups of people who lived around her. It was about her teammates and being lucky enough to go outside for two hours every day and play the sport she loved. It was about her favorite professor, Nina Moore and her favorite class, America as a Democracy.
It was about the lucky number 13 and being able to walk down Broad Street and saying hi to everyone who walked by because Colgate was more than a community to Isabel—it was home.