Senior Quinn Livesay has found a new passion in building houses for low-income families in Mexico.

Quinn Livesay ’25 was enjoying her summer break in June 2023, two months before returning to Colgate to resume her studies as a junior, when she embarked on a life-changing experience. 

Livesay, a sociology major from Long Beach, Calif., and a catcher on the softball team, joined a Christian-based organization called Baja Bound, which builds homes for needy families in Ensenada, Mexico, a town about 90 miles south of San Diego. 

For three days, Livesay was part of a group that built a small house from the ground up. She did a little of everything. She worked on constructing the foundation. She helped install beams, walls, and the roof. She painted the interior of rooms. 

Livesay said she was nervous during the drive to Mexico because she had no experience in construction, and wondered whether she’d hold the team back. But no experience was needed; a desire to help others was the only requirement. Baja Bound staffers were present to lead the group through each step of the way.

“Every house has the same format. It’s efficient,” Livesay said. “You quickly learn how to do the work. What’s cool is that with any skill level, you can play a part in building the house and making an impact.”

The group worked all day. Food and housing was provided by the organization. Their meals consisted of homemade Mexican food. During each day, there were opportunities for group members to interact with local residents. Livesay said she used the time to do crafts or play sports with children. 

On the second day, with much of the house already constructed, group members visited a local store to buy items needed for the home, such as bedding, pillows, kitchen supplies, and food. 

By the end of Day 3, the house was ready to be turned over to its new occupants — a family that had been living in a dilapidated shed.

People from around the community gathered with the Baja Bound team for a dedication ceremony that included a prayer delivered by a pastor. The keys were turned over to the family, and everyone celebrated the achievement before packing up to return home.

Quinn Livesay (left) works with a group to build a house for a family that was living in a run-down shed in Mexico.

People from around the community gathered with the Baja Bound team for a dedication ceremony that included a prayer delivered by a pastor. The keys were turned over to the family, and everyone celebrated the achievement before packing up to return home.

“This part is extremely emotional because you are witnessing a family’s life change,” she said. “You are able to see the previous shed that they were living in, and then the new home that they will forever live in.”

For Livesay, the experience in the summer of 2023 was so fulfilling that she returned three more times to construct houses for families.

“I plan on going back twice a year,” she said. “This is something I want to continue doing for as long as I can. I told my friend, ‘I want to do this until I die.’”

Livesay found ways to bond with the families she helped, even with a language barrier. She even developed a friendship with a mom and her two small children, and have kept in touch through texting each other.

Each time she returns to Ensenada, she’s reminded of the impact she’s made on the community. Every house built by Baja Bound is painted a vivid color, and more of these dwellings have popped up since her first visit to the Mexican town. 

During each trip, she also meets with the families who live in homes she had previously helped construct. 

“I love to see these families because each of them holds a piece of my heart,” she said. “When we visit we get to celebrate their life in their new home.”

Livesay said she learned about Baja Bound from a close friend whose family took part in the home-building effort. After hearing so many stories, she decided to give it a try.

“My best friend’s family has done this for the last two or three years,” she said. “I saw the photos and heard the stories about the families they’ve been able to impact through building a house. This is a life-saving thing.”

The experience also provided another way for her to connect with her Christian faith and carry out its teachings. 

“As Christians, you’re called to serve and to love, like Jesus did,” Livesay said. “This experience taught me about how to love your neighbor and how to love other people.”

At Colgate, one way Livesay has practiced her faith has been through participation in Colgate Christian Athletes, a group that allows student-athletes of the same faith connect with one another. Livesay is the co-president of the group.

Her involvement with the group has helped to create what has been a fulfilling experience at Colgate that has tested her academically as well as athletically. 

With two months left to go before graduation, Livesay is adding the final touches to her sociology degree while competing in her final season with softball.

She has spent the entire 2024-25 academic year hammering out her senior thesis, which focuses on the transition to DI athletics for female athletes. She interviewed athletes from 32 colleges to learn about their experiences.

“I focused on freshman year because it’s a huge jump from playing on a club or travel team to a DI program,” she said. “I wanted to study why it was hard to transition into college athletics. I’m studying how athletes handle stress.”

Livesay said she wants to use her research to help athletes make an easier adjustment to college life while playing a DI sport. She hopes to publish her findings and discuss the topic at other universities. 

Saying good-bye to sunny California in favor of Central New York forced Livesay to get out of her comfort zone. But it’s a switch she sought and embraced. 

“I’m an adventurous person,” she said. “I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone, so I picked a palace farthest from home. You grow a lot when you’re out of your comfort zone. 

“My experience with the softball team has been great. It has developed me into the person I am today. My sport has taught me a lot about how to find your identity outside of your performance.”

Livesay said she wants to pursue a career that combines sports and business, although working for a university is also a possibility. Regardless of where life takes her, her work with Baja Bound will continue.

“When you go and build a house, you don’t realize how much of an impact you could have on other people,” she said. “It’s an easy way to change someone’s life and save the lives of their children. It’s something I want to continue doing forever.”