Colby E. Alexis '14

Hometown: Port Huron, Michigan
Major: Political Science

Colby was offered scholarships to 13 schools—and he chose SJC instead!

Colby is the proud recipient of the SJC Presidential Scholarship. He plans to attend law school after graduation. His dream school is Harvard. "If you are looking for a world-class liberal arts education where you receive interdisciplinary education with lots of support, SJC is where you want to be!"

Colby chose SJC because of Dr. Peter Watkins

Colby had developed an email correspondence with Dr. Peter Watkins during his application process. He decided to visit the SJC campus and meet Dr. Watkins. "Peter Watkins is the reason I am here!" Colby said. He had met pre-law advisors at several other schools and felt that none measured up to Dr. Watkins at SJC.

Colby stated that he likes SJC "mainly because of the relationships that students have with faculty members."

"What makes SJC truly stand out from other institutions is the relationship that students are able to have with the faculty and staff. In part because of our small class sizes and our caring faculty, students will develop meaningful relationships with many of their professors that will last a lifetime."

Approachable faculty and relevant courses

In addition to Dr. Watkins, the professor who has impacted Colby most is Dr. Mike Malone. Colby indicates that he "knows and relates the material very well. He is down to earth and approachable. He can elicit responses from students allowing them to explain themselves and their positions."

One of Colby's favorite courses was Philosophy of Human Nature with Dr. Malone because it is relevant to everyday life and to the law. Another of his favorites was the 400-level Constitutional Law with Dr. Watkins. He states that he has learned to "apply case law to current issues."

Don't limit yourself

"One of the great benefits of attending SJC is that you can join many clubs and are not limited to just a few. I'm a member of not only the Student Association, but three different bands, SJC's chapter of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, and Puma Activities Council.

The organization in which I am most active is Student Association, the Student Government of SJC. I am currently the Executive Vice-President of the Student Association, which involves meeting regularly with faculty and administrators as well as representing the Student Body in the Student Senate.

An activity that looks good on a resume

Colby's favorite activity is working as an RA. It is what he is most active in and quite proud of. He encourages his charges to use him as "resource." This position gives him great personal satisfaction. As President of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Colby notes that being a member is an indicator that the student is a high ability student and that can be used on a resume. However, Colby would like to see ALD change direction under his guidance. He would like to see it develop into an entity that brings lecturers to campus, sponsor Career Development sessions and resume writing workshops. He notes that "there are so many opportunities to be involved here. If a student gets enough support, he or she can be involved in many things."

Faith at SJC

"As a Catholic student, I find that SJC offers many opportunities for me to express my faith within the faith traditions of the Roman Catholic Church. I also enjoy the fact that our Campus Ministry Program, led by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, caters to students of all faiths, allowing for better religious and personal diversity in campus activities. It's especially important to me that we have a large amount of intellectual and religious diversity in the classroom, which is something that SJC really does quite well."

"Core will make you a better writer than those you will compete against"

Colby said that the Core Program is "an integration of every discipline offered into a meaningful liberal arts experience." He likes that the "writing builds on itself--it starts out somewhat simple and becomes increasingly complex: "The Core Program is a truly unique academic and intellectual experience that allows our students to find something in each course that can pique their intellectual curiosity and engage them in a way that no other liberal arts program in the country can. Through Core, our students learn how to be competitive in the ever-changing global society through a thought-provoking series of lectures, contemporary and historical readings, and small group discussions led by professors of different fields and backgrounds."

Study abroad in Germany—and even more

"One of the best experiences I have had through my academic life at SJC was doing an independent study with a professor in German Language. Although SJC doesn't have a German department, a professor who had studied German extensively during his graduate work and abroad in Germany offered to work with me in an independent study setting in order to better prepare me for my study abroad experience. SJC has also afforded me a truly world-class education in the fields of Political Science and Philosophy that will aid tremendously in my efforts to attend a top American law school after graduating from SJC.

By starting coursework in my major as a freshman, I have been able to gain a competitive edge in my field as a political scientist and have had opportunities to work on major research projects alongside SJC professors.

My study abroad in Germany was the best thing I've ever done (from both a personal and academic standpoint) and SJC helped prepare me for my study abroad and gave me the support I needed to succeed while living and studying in Europe."