Hartwick Trustee Colleen Connery '83, Once a Scholarship Recipient, Makes Transformative Gifts

When Colleen Connery ’83 arrived at Hartwick, she was looking for a degree program that would allow her to combine multiple interests in photography, sports journalism and creative writing. Not finding an obvious fit, she created a personalized academic pathway to integrate her diverse interests, passions and strengths.

In 1979, Hartwick called this opportunity the Independent Student Program. Today, this experience has been formalized as FlightPath, an innovative curriculum that guides students in defining their strengths and goals, building a network, and tapping into advanced technology tools. Connery remains a steadfast supporter of the experience and has generously committed an outright gift of $250,000 and a planned gift of $1 million, demonstrating her commitment to enriching future generations of students.

Connery’s academic journey at Hartwick College included active involvement in campus life. She helped create the Women’s Center, played lacrosse, served as an editor of Hilltops, the campus newspaper, and was a deejay for three hours every Sunday on the College radio station, WRHO.

During her sophomore year, when a sibling was also headed to college, she worried that the expense would be too much for her parents and sought scholarship support. “I was able to continue at Hartwick thanks to funds that had been designated years before I arrived at Hartwick by other alumni and friends of the College.”

Today, Connery serves on the College’s Board of Trustees and chairs the committee for the Together, We Soar campaign. “I am honored to give back to Hartwick College, a place that provided me with the foundation to explore my interests and grow both personally and professionally,” said Connery.

“My gift is a combination of funds that I can witness the college putting to immediate good use, whether it’s to renovate our athletic training center – a long-overdue project – or to help send students to an international January term experience, and a long-term investment that the College can count on in the future to maintain new scholarships and programs.”

As the committee chair for the campaign, Connery plays a crucial role in spearheading fundraising efforts that will ensure the College’s continued success and innovation. Her leadership has been instrumental in mobilizing support from alums, parents and friends of the College, aiming to secure a robust financial foundation for Hartwick’s future. To date, the Together, We Soar campaign has raised over $35M in just 3.5 years.