“I feel that I am now far more socially conscious due to the introspection that Columbia fosters on themes such as identity, civic responsibility, community engagement and social inclusion. This school has really forced me to become more confident, resilient, assertive and adaptable, and to become a better leader.

“Through my experience at Columbia and with New York as a whole, I learned from people from all walks of life. I was able to learn from different cultures, viewpoints and experiences that helped to challenge me and develop myself fully.

“I would like to send a big ‘Congratulations!’ to my classmates, and to remind them to invest in what they would like to see changed in the world around them. They are very passionate, dedicated people, and I know they have the skills to accomplish significant milestones: Congrats, Class of 2020!”

“I will always credit Columbia with honing my sense of civic purpose. I have discussed and debated citizenship and social responsibility in my Core classes, especially Contemporary Civilization. I have listened to incredible speakers — political leaders, organizers and the like — through the on-campus organizations and event series like the World Leaders Forum. I have met so many people who passionately advocate for issues they care about. I’ve been inspired to do the same, and to make it my mission in life to break down barriers to civic engagement. Go vote.

“I miss walking out of an event, party or lecture with friends, utterly speechless, giggling and grinning like a fool because of the brilliance we got to witness. … Columbia has always felt like a dream. I had seven and a half unbelievable semesters, and woke up a little too early.

“There’s so much right with the world, and so much wrong with it. If we can use our educations to tilt the scales toward the first, we should be able to take an afternoon off every once in a while.”

“These past few months I’ve really missed the gatherings, especially how everyone would sit out on the grass and on Low Steps. Whatever we were doing, it was the fact that we were together that gave it a feeling of belonging.

“Out of my entire college experience, I most appreciate the friends that I’ve made and the people whom I’ve met. I believe that we’re meant to meet the people we meet, so every single interaction that I’ve had has only added to my college experience and to my self-love journey.