Meeting Alumni Where They Are

While many of us think of the heart of Columbia College as being College Walk, the Steps and Hamilton Hall, this year it’s become clear to me that the heart of the College beats just as strongly in Los Angeles, London, Houston and Hong Kong. As president of the Columbia College Alumni Association, I have the privilege of seeing the incredible impact our alumni have all over the world; in March, for example, I joined alumni in Los Angeles for our West Coast Honors ceremony (see “Around the Quads”).

In the coming year the CCAA is prioritizing reaching out to alumni far beyond Morningside Heights. We will welcome 12 new members to the CCAA Board of Directors who hail from around the world; growing the global reach of our board is critically important to representing the true breadth of our alumni population. These new board members also represent four decades of campus involvement — the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s — and share a driving passion for the College. We’re also focusing on our regional work as an alumni association and gathering a group of members to assess our efforts outside of New York City and identify opportunities to expand programming and engagement. This includes exploring opportunities for alumni to host students in their cities during school breaks, to build connections across generations of Columbians and to host social events to encourage alumni to build strong Columbia communities in their cities.

Throughout the summer you’ll have multiple opportunities to meet fellow alumni in your area. Columbia College Women and Columbia College Young Alumni, for example, will host Summer Socials across the country; these informal meetups are an opportunity for old friends and new to enjoy time together through their shared College bond. We’re also welcoming a new group of Columbians to campus in the Fall and in preparation for that will have Summer Send-offs on every continent, which you can attend. These events are hosted by alumni to welcome the Class of 2030 and help them build connections with classmates and alumni before they even set foot on College Walk.

Another opportunity to see Columbia in your neighborhood will be welcoming the new University president, Jennifer L. Mnookin, who begins her term on July 1 and will travel across the country this coming year to meet with alumni. We are excited to welcome her and show her the strength, pride and importance of the College alumni community.

Whether you have settled far from Morningside Heights or live on the island of Manhattan, I’m grateful for your support of the College. There remain many opportunities to come back to campus — mark your calendars for Columbia Homecoming 2026, scheduled for Oct. 23–24 — but you can count on even more opportunities to engage with the College near and far during the 2026–27 year.

A final note to congratulate the Class of 2026: The College will be there for you wherever your path leads!

Roar, Lion, Roar!