When the best role is supporting: Abigail Caldwell ’03
Toward the end of her Skidmore undergraduate career, Abigail Caldwell ’03 decided to make a big pivot.
“As a first-year student, I thought I would major in theater, move to New York, and pursue a career in theater,” she recalls. “That is what I came to Skidmore for.”
As the semesters went by, she discovered new interests through a variety of courses — “I was so grateful to be at a liberal arts college where I could explore so many different fields.”
Then it came time to choose a study-abroad program.
“My theater professor told me, ‘If you’re going to be a performer, you have to build life experience. So do something completely different.’”
Caldwell chose a cultural studies program in Kenya that placed her with a Muslim family in Mombasa, a Christian family in a rural farming village, and in a semi-nomadic Maasai community for one month of independent study.
“When I saw communities with limited access to medical care, I realized I had taken access to healthcare — especially reproductive healthcare — for granted,” Caldwell says. “When I came home, I knew I wanted to switch paths. I wanted to help people gain more autonomy over their reproductive lives.”
After exploring different roles in healthcare, she landed on a nurse practitioner program at Yale University for her graduate studies.
“I went into the program thinking I’d focus solely on women’s health, but I discovered that I loved many aspects of healthcare. I knew I wanted a role that was grounded in primary and preventive care but that also centered sexual and reproductive healthcare.”
Caldwell worked at a community health center and then for Planned Parenthood before becoming Skidmore’s director of Health Services in August 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Even though it was a hectic time to step into the role, it gave me the opportunity to work closely and intensively with colleagues and students right from the start. I was amazed by what we were capable of accomplishing together as a team and as a community,” she says.
She calls her Skidmore position a unique role in healthcare, embedded in an institution that values education and growth.
“I love how dynamic the work is. Some days I am seeing patients, other days I’m collaborating with colleagues. Last week I taught a PHE (Peer Health Education) course. I love that every day is different but it all contributes to supporting students and helping them access the care and resources they need.”
An integrated care approach to support students’ health and well-being is at the heart of Skidmore’s new McCaffery-Wagman Tennis and Wellness Center, which allows students to access Health Services, the Counseling Center, and Health Promotion in the same building, along with new cardio, weight room, and group fitness facilities and indoor and outdoor tennis courts.
“Having all three of our health and wellness departments in one building makes collaboration easier and improves access to care,” Caldwell says. “Students may come here for one thing but discover other ways to engage with their health and well-being while they’re here.”
The way in which Skidmore prioritizes well-being and support is one of the things she has always valued most about the College.
“When I was at Skidmore, I felt supported to explore who I was and what I cared about,” Caldwell says. “Now, I get to pay that forward.”
A version of this article first appeared in the fall 2025 issue of Skidmore College’s Scope magazine.