Scholar Highlight:
Tom Collins

Why did you decide to attend Skidmore?
I fell in love with Skidmore on my first visit. Saratoga Springs felt like a big city (coming from rural Vermont), but not too big! The campus in the woods was so gorgeous. I got a great vibe from the students too. I think I was on campus for about 10 minutes when I said, "this is it. Nothing else will do." I applied early decision, and my college search was over.

What was your major?
I did a self-determined major in religion and culture.

What's the best piece of advice you have ever received?
My wife of 15 years, Nina, is sort of a walking treasure trove of wisdom ... and a great source of inspiration to me. She is optimistic, brilliant and unflagging. If I could distil all that I've learned from her into an admittedly silly phrase, it is, "Just keep swimming." Yes, this is a quote from the movie Finding Nemo (which we've seen about a million times with our daughters). It's so relevant to the life a grownup, where we are constantly faced with stuff that might otherwise slow us down or even stop us in our tracks. Press forward, even when it's hard. 

What does being a Palamountain Scholar mean to you?
There are only a few moments in my life that I can look back on and say, "Yes. That was a game changer." Attending Skidmore was one of those moments, and I would never have had that experience without the generosity of the Palamountain Scholarship Fund. I am eternally grateful!

What advice do you have for recent graduates?
The paths you make with your choices will often lead you to surprising places. Say "yes" at every turn, even if that puts you outside of your planned trajectory. That kind of attitude can allow you to adapt to new challenges very quickly and help you uncover new regions worth exploring.

What is your current profession?
Musician!

What is one of your biggest accomplishments in life so far?
Without question, my two daughters ... but you probably mean professionally!

I recorded and released two albums in the past year, and I'm proud of both of them for different reasons.

The first was my banjo/fiddle/vocal album of "pure drop" string-band tunes from the '20s. It was a risky bet to produce, engineer and mix a full-length album out of my home studio, but it turned out great. It was just reviewed as a "must buy" by one of the principal magazines of the genre, The Banjo Newsletter, and they named it as one of their favorite albums of the last few years. To connect with listeners and get that feedback from musicians I've revered for a decade was an exceptionally gratifying moment for me. I also fell in love with the process of recording audio during the project, which points me in an interesting direction for my future plans.

The other project was the successful funding, recording and release of Heterotopia, a double-album rock opera with my band Schooltree. We raised over $20,000 with our Kickstarter and got the attention of cultural luminaries such as Aimee Mann, Margaret Cho, Neko Case and Barry Crimmins. Our live release sold out the Oberon Theater, the American Repertory Theater's second stage. It was a wonderful night and a lovely capstone to the project.

These two albums have taken so much blood, sweat and tears. It's edifying to know that independent music projects can flourish these days. I'm excited about the future, and am in the planning stages of volume 2 of my next old-time album.

What do you value about the Skidmore community?
Oh man, so much! I miss Skidmore!! First of all, the professors I had at Skidmore were not only incredibly rigorous on the academic side of things, but supportive as well. I wanted to do good work for them, and that was a major motivator on those long nights in the library. When you're studying, sometimes the material can get a little dry ... but being taught by people you hold a deep respect for can get you over the hump. And then there were the students. I was surrounded by such fiercely creative, brilliant kids. These people were on fire. It was an inspiring place to be. After Skidmore, I went to Harvard for grad school, and after my first few months there I thought ... man, this is cool, but it's got nothing on Skidmore!

Any words of wisdom or advice?
I pushed music away for a long time, thinking of it as something superfluous and impractical. I withered on the vine without it. Music is like a limb or organ to me ... I am not my whole self without it. I think if you can find that feeling, that activity/subject/craft that makes you feel whole, your duty is to relentlessly pursue it, regardless of its practicality and usefulness. Then you need to translate that love to others. You have to breathe that spark into a full-on blaze so that the world around you can enjoy the light and the heat. I'm still very much working on that second part ... but one thing I have learned is that you are most useful to others when you are doing what you love.