Colin O’Neil

Classroom

Colin O’Neill, a political science major with a history minor, is on track to graduate in May 2017. He holds a strong 3.5 grade-point average in his major and is a two-time Raider Academic Honor Roll member. He’s landed on the dean’s list twice during his academic career and was awarded the Class of 1964 Endowed Scholarship in both the spring of 2015 and 2016. O’Neill has future career aspirations within the politics and public policy fields. For the last two summers he has held internships with U.S. Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick in the House of Representatives and the Democratic Party of Virginia at campaign headquarters. This past summer, while working at the Democratic Party of Virginia campaign headquarters, O’Neill worked for Senior Advisor Pete Kavanaugh and Deputy Political Director Alice Tong as a campaign management and political intern and conducted statistical research, monitored media coverage and analyzed public opinion polls. In the summer of 2015, O’Neill developed and presented briefs to prepare Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick and his staff on different bills and resolutions that were being voted on in the House of Representatives. Following life as a student-athlete, O’Neill aims to find a job that allows him to engage with domestic and foreign policy at a high level. He wants to be at the forefront of the most divisive issues in the country and gain a better understanding of how they fit into the public policy process.

Character

A two-time team captain, O’Neill leads the Colgate midfield as both a vocal leader and leader by example. He helped lead the Raiders to a regular-season Patriot League Championship in 2015 and has guided the team to a 4-1 start to the 2016 season, with Colgate’s only loss coming against a Syracuse team that was ranked sixth nationally at the time. O’Neill is one of four Colgate men’s soccer players to be a member the Raiders’ Emerging Leaders Academy. He attends biweekly classes and workshops to enhance the development of leadership skills, and he is responsible for education for both his teammates and coaches on the topics of discussion. Colgate Head Coach Erik Ronning describes O’Neill as “a selfless leader who is a great person that works hard in every aspect of his life.” Added Ronning, “He represents this institution and program better than anyone. He’s really helped perpetuate the strong culture of this program.”

Community

O’Neill has utilized his status as a Colgate student-athlete to make an impact in the local community. He is a member of Colgate’s Adopt-a-Classroom initiative in which he and the Raiders mentor a class of second-graders once a month. In addition to serving as a positive role model to students, he also helps the initiative achieve its goal of helping foster a strong campus-community relationship. In addition to the Adopt-A-Classroom program, O’Neill also is a coach at the Junior Raider Soccer Academy. He engages with local children between the ages of 7 and 10 by teaching them the fundamentals of soccer through basic drills and games to improve their skills and enhance their understanding of the game.

Competition

A 2016 preseason All-Patriot League selection, O’Neill has put together a strong on-field resume. He has guided his team to a 14-8-2 record and a 2015 regular-season Patriot League Championship since taking over as a co-captain during his junior campaign. So far, the Raiders are off to a 4-1 start in 2016 and have shut out their opponents in all four of their wins. O’Neill was awarded second-team All-Patriot League honors following a junior campaign in which he started all 18 games in which he appeared. His presence in the strong Colgate midfield helped guide the Raiders to a 10-7-2 overall mark and 7-2-0 clip in Patriot League play as Colgate earned the regular season title. His performance in the postseason earned him a spot on the Patriot League All-Tournament Team.