Mount Sinai Resident Earns Most Prestigious Award for Seniors from Hamilton College

Ryan Smolarsky, a classical pianist, played Division III football for Hamilton

Clinton, NY (06/12/2023) — Mount Sinai resident Ryan Smolarsky was recently selected by Hamilton College's faculty to receive the institution's most prestigious award.

A physics major and pre-med student who also minored in math and music, Smolarsky was named the 2023 recipient of the James Soper Merrill Prize, which is awarded to the member of the graduating class "who, in character and influence, has typified the highest ideals of the College." One nominator called him "an extremely hard worker and a person of exceptional character who is committed to his studies as well as the campus community as a whole."

As this year's prize winner, Smolarsky spoke at the college's commencement on May 21, where he urged his classmates to continue following their passions, "because doing so will allow you to look back on your time and feel a great sense of fulfillment."

"I want all of us to be able to achieve this, and I'm sure it's achievable through three things and three things alone: work hard every day, do what you love, and work hard at what you love," he said.

Smolarsky was able to pursue several of his passions at Hamilton, playing offensive line for the College's NCAA Division III football team while also being selected to perform at a campus-wide student recital as a piano soloist.

(Hear Ryan talk about his love of piano and football in this video.)

The Mount Sinai High School graduate is determined to make a difference by helping others. Smolarsky earned his EMT certification in 2021 while studying at Hamilton, and volunteered as an EMT with the Central Oneida County Volunteer Ambulance Corps. He served as a physics student mentor and, through Stony Brook Hospital, has been a contributing author and researcher on two papers on cardiovascular surgery. He'll be presenting his group's research at the Vascular Annual Meeting 2023 in Maryland.

He also recently served as an MCAT Prep panelist with Williams, Middlebury, and Swarthmore colleges, assisting more than 100 students who planned to take the medical college admission exam. He also volunteered as a high school tutor in algebra and biology through EduMate NYC.

Smolarsky, who is interested in becoming an orthopedic surgeon, credited his professors and Hamilton's Health Professions Advising program with helping him shape his Hamilton studies. He noted that his pre-med advisor "helped me carve out a four-year plan as a physics major, discussed with me what I should be pursuing outside of my classes for professional development, and really helped me figure out what my overall plan through Hamilton should concretely look like."

Smolarsky was also awarded Hamilton's Milton F. Fillius, Jr. / Joseph Drown Prize Scholarship, established by the Joseph Drown Foundation in May 2022. This honor is awarded to a junior who has been very successful academically, has demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities at Hamilton, and who is likely to make a significant contribution to society in the future.

In addition to his many pursuits and academic accolades, Smolarsky served as vice president of his fraternity, Delta Upsilon, for which he previously was vice president of academic excellence. As a member of the football team, he was named to the New England Small Collegiate Athletic Conference's All-Academic team during his sophomore, junior, and senior years.

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