Elsa O’Brien ’25 (Photo by Mark DiOrio)
Elsa O’Brien ’25 has won the Colgate Alumni Corporation 1819 Award. The University’s highest student honor recognizes character, scholarship, and service that exemplify the Colgate spirit. It is given each year to a member of the graduating class.
O’Brien, a classical studies and English double major from Alameda, Calif., was selected from nominations submitted by students, faculty, and staff. She will serve as the student speaker during the University’s baccalaureate service, held for seniors and their guests on the Saturday before commencement.
President Brian W. Casey announced the honor during the University’s annual awards convocation. “Motivated by a love of this community, Elsa is not merely concerned for classmates, professors, and staff members,” Casey said. “Rather, she takes action. It could be as simple as driving a friend up the hill to an exam — or, as pivotal as helping to advance the University’s dedication to freedom of expression by serving on a task force looking at university speech policies.”
Currently Student Government Association president, O’Brien previously served as the SGA’s vice president of student engagement and headed up the Student Activities Association. Through campus employment, O’Brien has reached out to current and future classmates — as an ambassador in the Office of Admission, Career Services, and the Office of the President. “I love these positions and enjoy chatting with and calming students and prospective families, collaborating on projects, and working as a team alongside students and staff,” she said.
Meanwhile, O’Brien’s academic pursuits earned her the George W. Cobb Award for Outstanding Achievement, membership in the Eta Sigma Phi Classics Honorary Society, the Department of Classics Newton Lloyd Andrews Prize, and multiple appearances on the Dean’s List With Distinction. One nominee noted that, “Elsa is that student in the classroom who has a true thirst for knowledge. She not only loves to learn, but she is drawn to coursework where she can expect to encounter significant academic challenges.”
While pursuing her double-major, O’Brien co-curated a library exhibit on ancient and Colgate architecture, took two English senior seminars as a junior, and wrote a senior honors thesis in classics. “None of these experiences were easy, but I would do them again in a heartbeat,” she said. “The classroom will be what I miss the most after graduation, but I can't wait for a lifetime of learning.”