Hashim Rainey ’15
Many OUS Scholars are known for their exceptional work on projects, in classes, for research and within student groups. The epitome of the working college student, OUS scholars work with a passion in their heart and glowing resumes filled with various skills, assets, leadership and qualities from various places on and off campus. One such individual that OUS Scholars will find at events, in student groups, and at Case Library is Hashim Rainey, Class of 2015. Rainey is no exception to the busy schedules that OUS Scholars keep at Colgate University. However, as a senior, Rainey has managed to chisel the skill of juggling various responsibilities into a finished system of steps. Finding that balance is an ever-evolving process, and Rainey shares with OUS the steps to discovering that mindset while finding yourself on campus.
First, let’s get to know Hashim.
Hashim Osaze Rainey, Class of 2015, is from Atlanta, GA and is a philosophy major with an intended minor in English. He is currently a member of Brothers, a campus ambassador for Venture For America (VFA), and a recent member of the Pre-Law Society. He is often the man working behind the curtains of these student groups – doing the logistical, foundational work that is essential to any group and every event. Rainey is known to want things to go as smoothly as possible. This kind of individual is sought after by many groups, corporations and institutions in general. Knowing that, Rainey chooses involvement in those communities to which he feels he can offer his asset and implement his passions and beliefs as well. When asked how he is able to juggle it all these years at Colgate, he revealed a surprisingly simple system.
“I believe being involved on campus means being able to have any idea that pertains to Colgate as a whole, and being able to produce or fashion that idea in some way on campus. That idea can take any shape. It may big, small, personal, general etc.
I don’t look at my life inside/outside of Colgate and being involved on campus as two separate entities. What I do at Colgate is forever in the four years of me being here. My personal struggles are dealing with overload. I tend to try to take on so many tasks that I can overwhelm myself and thus I either sacrifice quality or I sacrifice my own personal well-being. I overcome these by admitting that I need help and go out and seek great counsel from a mentor, professor, or one of my wise friends. Once those tasks are completed, and done well, do I feel fulfilled about being involved on campus the most. A lot of the times less is more. It is about finding the few things you can do and doing them well.
As an OUS scholar, I try to get involved as much as I can because I understand that Colgate has a predominant viewpoint on the way society works and that, in turn, is projected on to certain individuals, such as OUS scholars. To better the Colgate community, it is important to teach and educate those of a viewpoint what they may have missed throughout the course of their life. It would be selfish of me not to spread my knowledge, my experiences – all of which compose of that viewpoint. Also involvement on campus is an amazing opportunity for myself to learn and continue to add to, renovate, and adjust my viewpoint. I see me being involved as an overall good source of knowledge for myself and the Colgate community at large.
Being involved on campus has helped me understand the very different mindsets of people as a whole. I see that being involved has also granted me a lot of social mobility that I would not have necessarily gathered just by staying to myself on this campus. I know that this school is small and everyone can truly make a difference to it one way or another. There are so many opportunities to do well at Colgate. All that is required is the will from your mind to go out and accomplish these grand opportunities. With these opportunities can you also see what you personally want to do in life after college. I personally believe that Colgate is for self-discovery. Since the nature of this university is of Liberal Arts, no true major will guarantee you a set career path after Colgate. Major does not equal job. What will help you in your career path is trying a variety of different things at Colgate and finding out what naturally seems fun and meaningful to you. Then you take those skills out into job market and find out, which career matches those particular skills you picked up on by being involved at Colgate.
Lastly as a piece of advice, specifically first years: “Do not get distracted with what you want to be when you leave Colgate. Be involved with your Colgate community because this place is temporary; you will not get these years back. Try and broaden your range of education so you can see what you are able to seriously accomplish as a career.”
