In her own words
Kelsey Beausoleil
It isn’t just my education that I am pursuing – my time at Colgate is and has always been a family affair. My first class was also my parents pseudo-first class as I described the classroom, my peers, the syllabus, and my day with them immediately after. Each break isn’t enough time to recount each experience I’ve had up until that point in the semester, so my parents can experience my club meetings, office hours, and sports practices too. As I continue to look into career opportunities for my post-graduation plans, the starting salaries exceed my parents current salaries – even after 20+ years experience in their careers. It was never a question of will I attend college, but rather where will I go. My parents were adamant about sending me to attain a bachelor’s degree so I would have the headstart they weren’t granted at my age. I plan on using my degree to pursue a career in healthcare to reduce disparities in the quality of care received and increase access to modes of care for disadvantaged groups, which are disproportionately POC and single mothers. At Colgate, I have been afforded the opportunity to travel with my team and professors domestically and internationally, whilst learning how to effectively network and leverage my network to increase opportunities off Colgate’s campus. Several alumni have opened up their business and even homes so I can explore the inner workings of their careers and roles as I decide if direct patient care and clinical work will execute my personal goals, or if I should shift my focus to bigger-picture policy enacted changes to alleviate the financial pressures our privatized healthcare system has imposed on more than half of our citizens.