Student Life

Ingrid has been involved in the nonprofit realm and volunteerism most of her professional career.

Ingrid received a bachelor of art degree from Colgate University in 1989 with a concentration in art and art history. She spent her first four years out of college in the art industry in both New York City and Los Angeles. Since her return to Colgate in 1993, she has worked in both the Office of Admission and the Center for Career Services.

An active volunteer within the Hamilton community, Ingrid has served on the Hamilton Central School Board of Education, the Hamilton American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) Board of Directors, both the Hamilton Elementary and Hamilton Secondary School Steering Teams, as classroom parent in the Hamilton Elementary School, coordinator of the Hamilton Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) program People As Reading Partners (PARP), volunteer reader at the Hamilton Public Library, and book cart volunteer with the Community Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Board.

Ingrid lives in Hamilton with her husband, David, who also works at Colgate, and their three children.

Colleen Nassimos, administrative coordinator and team advisor

Phone: 228.6880
E-Mail: cnassimos@mail.colgate.edu

Colleen arrived at Colgate's Annual Fund office in 1992. Craving student interaction, she worked in several departments before settling in at the COVE in 2003. Providing logistical and administrative support to the COVE and its 30+ student-run community-based service teams is integral to Colleen’s position, as well as maintaining relationships with the local community agencies the teams work with. She assists in team event planning, and currently serves as team advisor to four COVE groups.

For her outstanding volunteer service, Colleen was recently given the Exceptional Community Volunteer Award for December 2008.  Congratulations, Colleen!

Colleen is a lifelong resident of central New York and the Madison area. She is currently active in the Madison Optimist Club, Madison Boosters, and the Madison Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). She and her husband Jim reside in Madison with their two children.

Rachel Bernstein, assistant director and team advisor

Phone: 228.6877
E-Mail: rbernstein@mail.colgate.edu

Rachel came to the COVE in August 2008 from Buffalo, New York. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University at Buffalo, majoring in Psychology and Sociology with a minor in Spanish. As an undergraduate, Rachel studied abroad in Salamanca, Spain, volunteering at Campo Charro elementary school twice a week. She was also actively involved in the Buffalo community spending many Saturday mornings volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and Ten Thousand Villages as well as serving on the executive board at the Gloria J. Parks Community Center.

Rachel earned her Master of Science degree in Higher Education Student Affairs from Indiana University. As a graduate student she worked in the Office of Community Service at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) for two years. Throughout her assistantship she advised students in the Sam H. Jones Community Service Scholarship Program as well as aided in the coordination of campus wide service events. Rachel also participated in the “To Mexico with Love” study abroad program and worked in the Mary Cable Social Justice Center at IUPUI. In addition, she studied abroad in Nicoya, Costa Rica and continues to seek out opportunities to practice her Spanish.

At the COVE, Rachel advises 11 of the community-based teams, oversees the alternative break program, supervises COVE Interns involved in the Leadership Opportunities for Tomorrow (LOFT) program initiatives, and develops integrated partnerships between the COVE and other Colgate offices and programs.

Alison Kenyon, school-based team advisor

Phone: 228.6878
E-Mail: akenyon@mail.colgate.edu

Alison Kenyon has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the State University of New York (SUNY) Potsdam, a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from SUNY Oneonta, and a Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction from SUNY Cortland.

She has taught in first through sixth grades as a classroom teacher and remedial mathematics specialist in the Sherburne-Earlville and Morrisville-Eaton school districts.  Alison has also worked as a migrant educator, family support worker, and child protective caseworker.  Alison resides in Hamilton with her husband and their two children.

Kristen Melichar, school-based team advisor

Phone: 228.6878
E-Mail: kmelichar@mail.colgate.edu

Kristen Melichar has a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Loyola College in Maryland and is completing her Master’s in School Counseling.

She has taught in first through fifth grades, all in the Montgomery County, Maryland, school district. Kristen has also worked as a part time reader for Colgate’s Office of Admission. 

She has two children and her husband is the vice president for public relations and communications at Colgate.

Rachel Amann-Burns, team advisor

E-Mail: ramman@mail.colgate.edu

Rachel is responsible for advising four of the COVE’s community-based teams. She also works part-time for Colgate’s Upstate Institute and is a Master’s student at Colgate.

Rachel grew up in Hamilton and graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Management in 1997. She has spent the last ten years doing a number of different internships, jobs and volunteer positions around the world, including two terms as an AmeriCorps VISTA member in Anchorage, Alaska.

Rachel lives in Poolville with her husband Jereme, daughter Opal and numerous pets