MAJOR: Public and Community Health
INVOLVEMENT: Ithaca College Democrats (Executive Board), Longview Senior Living Community (Researcher), Trillium Health (Intern)
Where Service Meets Impact
By Kim Nagy, September 9, 2026
Meet Caleb ’29: At IC, he is finding the tools to amplify his impact.
Caleb ’29
I’ve created invaluable connections with professors who genuinely care.
Caleb ’29
Caleb knew early on that he wanted to make an impact. At 14, he began volunteering at the food pantry at Trillium Health, drawn to its mission of improving lives in his community. By high school, his commitment deepened. After raising more than $2,000 for Trillium through a high school class project, Caleb began asking bigger questions about the systems behind the issues he cared about.
Ithaca College wasn’t initially on his radar, but a campus visit changed that. “I was drawn in by the facilities as much as the faculty,” he says. “Professors really make one-on-one connections with you.”
At IC, courses in global health and public policy helped him connect his questions to a broader understanding of impact. With Professor Amy Frith, he explored the global dimensions of health inequities while a gerontology course with Professor Elizabeth Bergman challenged him to consider how age, identity, and lived experience shape care and access. Last summer, he was an intern at Trillium Health, where he honed his skills in grant writing and direct outreach.
At IC, Caleb’s commitment to helping others and his understanding of how to make a difference continue to grow.