RCS Alumni Reflect on College Life: Stephen Fealy – Hamilton College

Riverdale Review: What field of study are you pursuing?

Stephen Fealy: I’m currently pursuing Music with a minor in French and Cinema Studies. I’ve been doing music for a very long time and that was a part of my experience at Riverdale. Fun fact: I composed the school bell at Riverdale. That was a long time ago, maybe 2016 or 2017. I want to work in the entertainment industry, whether film or music.

RR: Why did you decide to attend Hamilton College?

SF: It was a weird time, honestly, in the middle of Covid. School was very hybrid. My high school experience was interrupted and I was getting recruited for football. All my camps were canceled, so I only had a year of footage from Riverdale. I got the offer from Hamilton to commit for football. It was a good school; it was a beautiful place. It was essentially the safest bet in a time when a lot wasn’t guaranteed in terms of school.

RR: What are the benefits and drawbacks of a liberal arts college?

SF: Hamilton is very small. You tend to be a lot more known, which is a good thing and a bad thing. You’ll feel like a big fish in a small pond at times. But it’s a great community of people who are all fun and supportive for the most part—that’s something I really appreciate. In terms of drawbacks, it’s in a small town in the middle of nowhere, which is fine if you’re looking for that.

RR: Do you want to speak about your semester abroad, since you’re doing that now?

SF: Sure! I wanted to get a more hands-on approach to being a film student. I really wanted an educational experience. Essentially, I’m filming a movie this semester through a program called Semester Cinema. It’s really cool. I’m learning about editing and I really enjoy it because I’m learning all sorts of technology and software. You get to have a professional movie credit on IMDB, which is basically an unpaid internship. If you really like being creative and working with film, it’s a great program. I have also been working a lot on my music in my spare time.

RR: What surprised you the most about college life?

SF: I’d say the different types of people that I met surprised me. There’s an endless range of people who have beliefs on all sides and you would never really guess or expect who has what belief. Also, how much college has changed me. I’ve become a more open-minded person. My belief in what I wanted to do has also changed. I started on the Econ-Finance route. I took a couple of Economics classes and it just wasn’t for me. I guess a lesson for Riverdale students is that, in college, it’s your education. You should dip your toe into everything possible. You should try to find that thing that gets you going, gets you passionate, makes you really excited.

RR: What were the biggest challenges you faced during your first year?

SF: Adjusting to the workload was one. College is harder than high school, especially if you’re taking hard classes. You have a lot more time, though, and if you manage that time, you will be successful. You want to go to office hours in classes you struggle with and meet with your teachers and talk to them as much as possible. Especially at a liberal arts school, they have the time and they’re willing to do that. And being a student athlete in college is a lot different than being a student athlete in high school. It’s like a job in college. I was playing football for 20-30 hours a week and doing homework. There were 8-hour bus trips to Maine to go play a rival school, and 6 or 7 a.m. lifts that you have to attend. That made my fall semester a lot harder. I tore something in my shoulder, I was in a sling for a couple months. There’s a ton of random stuff that sports will do to you, especially a sport like football. But you get an automatic, built-in community through football and through sports, which I appreciate at Hamilton.

RR: How would you describe the social life at your college?

SF: I’d say it’s a lot more laid back than a bigger school that’s constantly partying. Which is okay, I’m okay with that. I don’t need to party all the time. At Hamilton, there’s a lot more intimate time with friends, whether it be hanging out in the library or hanging out in a friend’s room playing video games or watching TV.

RR: Do you have any advice for current Riverdale seniors?

SF: Don’t worry, you will find a school that is right for you, and if you don’t, you have two years to transfer. As long as you put the work in, it’s going to be okay. Time management, open-mindedness, try everything, nothing’s too cool for you. And don’t party too hard—it can get the best of you.