“Thinking about the future, I know I’ll appreciate the connections and networks I established with fellow students, faculty, mentors and all professionals in their respective fields. My Columbia education has made me a better-informed citizen both politically and socially, with a deeper understanding of the history and philosophies that continue to govern our society.

“This past semester I’ve missed my closest friends, the ones that I’ve had since freshman year. Our last months together were supposed to be a triumph, and my heart aches for the moments that we have lost. And yet, looking back at the last four years, I have realized that we’ve had so many beautiful moments already — a multitude of friendsgivings, wine gatherings and impromptu meetings on Low Steps. And though the mourning of what we could have had is still sharp, it does not detract from the simple miracles of that time that we’ve spent together.

“I miss walking around campus and running into friends. It was amazing how amidst thousands of people, I would always see a few friendly faces on College Walk or the endless Hamilton stairs. I also miss Morningside Heights. The best feeling in the world was coming off the subway from a bustling neighborhood downtown and feeling at peace and at home.

“Even though we all have gone through a life-changing pandemic, I still will graduate on time and married my best friend in Surprise, Ariz. All you need is love!”

“Through the events of this last semester I’ve realized that if the world can end, then anything within the world can end in a second. I never thought college would just end; it is too big. But it did, and it made me understand that nothing can be taken for granted.”