Celebrating the West Coast Honors

Two alumni were feted at the fourth annual West Coast Honors on March 19 in Beverly Hills.

Mohit Daswani ’95, chief financial officer of SimplePractice, received the Trailblazer Award for pioneering and distinguished service or volunteerism to the College. And Raamla Mohamed Hunter ’03, the creator, showrunner and executive producer of the television drama Reasonable Doubt, received the Spirit of Creativity and Innovation Award for exceptional professional achievement. About 70 people turned out for the celebration, which included a cocktail reception and remarks by Dean Josef Sorett and Columbia College Alumni Association (CCAA) president Raymond Yu ’89, SEAS’90.

Afterward, Daswani and Hunter answered questions about how the College shaped them, the ways they give back and what their awards mean to them.

Mohit Daswani ’95

Tamara Leigh Photography

Trailblazer Award


Tell us about your volunteerism with the College. What keeps you giving back in this way?

My connection to Columbia has always been deeply personal. As a student, it was where I found my voice as a leader, learned how to engage in deep exploration of ideas and met my wife, Sejal Daswani ’95, SIPA’96. Those experiences left me with a lasting sense of gratitude and a strong desire to stay involved.

As an alumnus, I have tried to give back in ways that strengthen both access and community. I have served as co-chair of the Fund Development Council and on the CCAA Executive Board, and my wife and I established the Daswani-Patel Family Scholarship to support College students. I have also worked to help build a stronger alumni network on the West Coast through events that connect alumni, students and families, such as Summer Send-offs for new students and alumni gatherings.

What keeps me engaged is gratitude, but also conviction. The College expanded my sense of what was possible, and I believe it has a unique role to play in the world today: building leaders who are comfortable engaging in intellectual debate in pursuit of truth and enduring values. If we can help students have that kind of formative experience, and help strengthen the community around them, that is a meaningful way to give back.

What did it mean to you to receive this award?

Receiving this award was deeply meaningful because it came from a community that has shaped me in lasting ways. My years at Columbia were formative personally, intellectually and professionally, so to be recognized by the College is a real honor. The award is also a recognition of the many alumni working to build a thriving Columbia community on the West Coast, and I appreciate Columbia’s support in this endeavor. Finally, Columbia will always have a special place in my heart, so celebrating with other alumni, students, the dean and members of the Alumni Office will always be a cherished experience.

Raamla Mohamed Hunter ’03

Tamara Leigh Photography

Spirit of Creativity and Innovation Award


How did Columbia shape your perspective and/or your professional interests?

Despite the Core Curriculum and the structured environment that embodies Columbia, I found the College to be a school that really fostered independent thinking and self-reflective journeys. And somehow the juxtaposition of both provided growth in all areas of my life. The Core essentially forced me to take classes I would not have signed up for on my own, such as Art Humanities or Contemporary Civilization. And the texts read in those classes were important to my understanding of the world and led me toward being a creative person. There weren’t daily assignments like in high school, so I had to learn time management, and how to study independently or form a study group. I was also able to make time for extracurricular pursuits such as dancing in Orchesis, being an usher at Miller Theatre and choreographing the 109th Annual Varsity Show. But more than anything, I learned how to think and how to develop my own point of view and be open to having it changed through knowledge and empathy. Those four years at Columbia were some of the most exciting and challenging years of my life. Wouldn’t trade it for anything.

What did it mean to you to receive this award?

It meant the world to me, particularly to receive it from my friend Maud Arnold ’08, whose work I’ve admired for years. She and her sister, Chloé Arnold ’02, received the award last year, so I was honored to follow in their footsteps. I am also grateful to be acknowledged by the College for my career because there are so many distinguished Columbia alumni. To be considered one of them is an accomplishment I do not take lightly and will cherish deeply.