Makda Tadess

Student Ambassador at Colby College


Chat with Makda: mbtade26@colby.edu

Make is a senior Environmental Studies major. She is originally from Ethiopia and moved to Boston in 2010. She was a Semester in the City Fellow in Fall 2024 as a Data Visualization Intern at the Charles River Watershed Association. She learned about Semester in the City through previous Colby Student Ambassadors.

On campus, she is a REACH Mentor, advising underclassmen in STEM. She’s also an exam proctor at the Westin Center, a Restorative Practice Fellow through ORSL and a member of the Colby Outdoor Club. Now that she’s living off-campus, Makda loves to cook!

Q: What are you passionate about?

A: “I love environmental science (ES) work, anything that allows me to be outside studying ecology. I also love the intersection of ES and public health.”

Q: What are some of your interests?

A: “Photography and filmmaking (only for fun not professionally or academically).”

Q: If you could visit a fictional world for a day & be immersed in it, where would you go?

A: “This may be controversial but I would have a day with Iron Man, specifically him from the first movie.”

Q: What motivates you?

A: “Academic validation :)”

Q: What do you wish you heard before becoming a fellow?

A: “You're going to get an experience of post grad life, having a job, living in an apartment in the city, balancing your time, and taking fun classes.”