Katie Rydell ’14
I applied to Thought Into Action (TIA) on a whim with an idea that I was excited about, but not sure if it could become a reality. I didn’t know much about TIA, or what it could offer students, but I was ready to try something new and different. I quickly learned that TIA is the only program at Colgate that can offer students the unique ability to grow an idea into a reality.
I’m working on creating a mobile application with my partner, Amara Wilson, called LateDate. LateDate will help users find dates to many different types of events. Before TIA, this concept was utilized in lists passed around my sorority, where girls could recommend dates for formal and semi-formal events. Now, with the overwhelming support and help from my mentors, LateDate is being designed and developed into a mobile application. It has grown from being used solely in my sorority into an app that will help users find dates to a myriad of events, from high school proms to private parties.
Amara Wilson ’14
After only three months in the program, I already talk about TIA to everyone I know. I can’t believe this opportunity has been here the entire time I’ve been at Colgate and I’ve only just become a part of it. It is the most inspiring, educational, and ‘real-world’ experience I’ve had while being a student. The opportunity to take your idea and turn it into a reality is unbelievable, and it is possible with the help of TIA’s amazing alumni mentors who are part of the program. My specific mentors, Bob Gold, David Michonski, Greg Dahlberg, Jason Griswold, and Joey Petracca have helped me develop my idea into something greater than I ever expected it could be. TIA is a community of people wanting to see their dreams develop into a reality, and through this program I’m able to build LateDate into a functional mobile application.
Katie Rydell is a senior studying Economics and Spanish, while also president of her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Amara Wilson is a senior pursuing a major in Peace and Conflict Studies with a minor in Religion. Outside of the classroom she is president of Colgate’s Panhellenic Council and a member of the Konosioni Honor Society.