Dorothy Donaldson '05 has wonderful memories of her days with the Colgate softball team.

There was the time when an opponent tried to trick Donaldson by making her think she was going to be intentionally walked, only for the pitcher to fire a ball toward the strike zone. 

But Donaldson wasn't fooled, smacking a line-drive hit up the middle. 

There was also the comeback win that came down to Colgate's final batter, who happened to be Donaldson with the bases loaded. Donaldson was jammed on the pitch, yet the slugger still put enough on it to hit the ball out of the park.

"I don't know how it went over the fence," Donaldson said. "I can still remember the feeling. The ball hit the bat near my hands, which is not how you want to hit it. But somehow it turned into a home run."

Part of being an incredible player is doing things that cannot always be explained. And Donaldson was certainly adept at that. 

The psychology major from Lakeland, Fla., is a Colgate softball legend with 39 career home runs. She ranks in the top five of all other offensive categories, and her accolades are many, including 2004 Patriot League Player of the Year. 

With a Patriot League Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament, Donaldson is considered one of the most dominant softball players in Patriot League history.

Now, Donaldson has another recognition for her trophy case: Trailblazer of Distinction. In September, Colgate presented the honor to five women for their roles in building the foundation for the success of women's athletics during the Title IX era.

The pioneers were chosen as part of Colgate's yearlong celebration of 50 years of women's athletics, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of Title IX.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed the Title IX bill to protect people from discrimination on the basis of gender when participating in an educational program.

The bill helped drive an effort by women for equality and better opportunities at college campuses in the 70s, when more institutions shifted to a coed format, including Colgate.

Donaldson said she was shocked when she learned she was a trailblazer.

"There are so many women athletes who have gone through Colgate," she said. "To be one of five is really hard to put into words. I feel very grateful and humbled. I feel honored that Colgate chose me to represent not only women athletes but to represent Colgate. It means a lot to me."

Donaldson said she's proud of the success that women have achieved as athletes at Colgate. As a student-athlete, she watched women's programs like basketball and ice hockey evolve and gain national recognition.

"It was exciting to see Colgate mentioned on the ticker at the bottom when you're watching Sportscenter," she said. "Watching Colgate women's hockey on television on a major station is awesome."

COMING TO COLGATE

Donaldson's mother, Phyllis, didn't want her daughter to play softball. 

But, as a stubborn kid with an interest in sports, she did it anyway — and waited until after she joined a league before breaking the news to mom.

"She didn't really have a choice," Donaldson said with a laugh. 

Growing up in a small city east of Tampa, Donaldson was an only child, raised by her mother and grandparents. She discovered baseball through her grandfather. The two would often sit in front of the TV and watch his favorite team, the Atlanta Braves.

Donaldson tried playing different sports, but softball became her passion. She joined various youth leagues before she signed up for travel softball around age 11. The opportunity allowed her to travel across the country and take on tougher competition.

By this point, her mother had warmed up to the sport and became her biggest fan.

"She really got into it," Donaldson said. "She was a proud, proud mom. She was a huge supporter, whatever team I was on."

She played travel softball through high school. As a junior, Donaldson was at a showcase in Colorado when she met Vickie Sax, who coached Colgate softball for 13 seasons, compiling 313 wins — the most in program history.

Donaldson had never heard of Colgate until meeting Sax. But as she learned more about the University, she was impressed with what she saw.

She visited the campus on a summer day and met with coaches and faculty. While Central New York was far different from Central Florida, Donaldson wasn't worried about feeling homesick.

"It was far away, but that wasn't a concern to me," she said. "When I sat down and reviewed my options, Colgate seemed like the most compatible and most supportive for me as a student-athlete."

"Colgate offered me a chance to have a positive impact on the softball program and also a great education," she said.

LIVING THE LIFE SHE WANTED

Donaldson switched from majoring in biology to psychology after taking an introductory course on the topic.

"I really gravitated to learning about psychology and neuroscience," she said. "It was very difficult, but it was fun. It was eye-opening."

One of the most important lessons came from a philosophy professor, who taught her how to improve her comprehension.

"He taught me something I still use today," she said. "He taught me how to slow down and read. To really comprehend, think and take in what the author is saying. I have to admit as an 18-year-old at the time, I thought it was ridiculous, but it truly was and still is a quintessential lesson."

As she studied psychology, she continued to become a force on the softball field. She was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2002, and received Best Offensive Player honors twice. 

As a sophomore, she was on one of the best teams in program history. Softball finished 29-15, smacking a program record 40 home runs. The Raiders won the conference crown and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the second time in Colgate history.

Donaldson, along with Natalie Rawson '05 and Melissa Rawson '03, combined for 33 home runs and 107 RBIs. The trio made the all-Mid Atlantic Region and All-Patriot League teams.

The next season, the Raiders finished 34-17 and made the Patriot League Tournament for a seventh consecutive year. Donaldson hit .420, with 14 home runs and 43 RBIs. She finished with a .783 slugging percentage and earned a selection to the Louisville Slugger All Mid-Atlantic Region Team.

Her favorite on-the-field moments include winning the Patriot League Tournament, traveling to California to battle UCLA in the NCAA Tournament, and her time with her teammates. 

"My softball experience was wonderful," she said. "It afforded me to live the life I thought I'd be living at that time. I was playing softball at a high level and still going to class and learning."

While she and her teammates had lots of fun together, everyone shared a commitment to becoming better athletes. Whether they were on the field or in the weight room, the competition was intense. 

"We were needling each other, wanting to be better. It pushed the team forward," Donaldson said.

Donaldson never experienced a losing season in her four years.

"As far as my athletic career at Colgate, I have to give it to Coach Vicki Sax," she said. "If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been at Colgate. Along with Coach Sax, Coach Jim Ciccone and Coach Carolee Morse really took me under their wings and helped me not only in my athletic career but also helped me grow as a young adult."

FROM FINANCE TO FOOTBALL

After graduating from Colgate, Donaldson stayed in the Northeast to begin a career in finance. 

She joined Ameriprise Financial in Boston as a financial planner for individual clients. 

In 2007, she got a job at Boston Investor Services, working as an account administrator. Today, she's an officer for the company, handling equity trade processing, foreign exchange trading, account reconciliation, and account reporting.

But crunching numbers wasn't all that Donaldson did after Colgate. She was an extreme competitor itching for another chance at playing sports.

She found it when she joined the Boston Militia in the Independent Women's Football League, a professional women's league. 
 

As a starting fullback, she endured her share of bruises and injuries, but she loved every moment of it. The Militia went undefeated in the regular season in five of her six full seasons. They went on to win three Super Bowl trophies. 

"Joining the team was one of the best decisions I've ever made," Donaldson said. "I met so many good people and football gives you such a different perspective actually playing. I loved every minute of it."

Donaldson stepped away from football in 2014 in search of new activities. She began motorcycling, and later switched to powerlifting. 

Regardless of the activity, Donaldson trained hard to excel in competition. But by day, she was in the office, becoming an integral part of her company, using the liberal arts education she received from Colgate. 

"Finance was not something I had done before," she said. "It worked out pretty well. One of the great aspects of a liberal arts education is the opportunity to learn and be exposed to different disciplines."