If there’s one thing Thomas Edwards CC’25 knows how to do best, it’s tell a good story. From a farm in the Midwest to the top of one of NYC’s most iconic landmarks, he has cemented his belief in the power of sharing narratives and good communication. Edwards plans to impart this message to his fellow graduates as this year’s Class Day student speaker.

“What you are leaving behind is a kaleidoscope of memories,” he writes. “What you are stepping into is a more authentic version of yourself.”

Edwards grew up on a sheep farm in Springfield, Ohio, in a tight-knit family that loved to share stories. Hearing his grandfather’s tantalizing tales inspired him to build his own narrative skills, and he charted a path toward filmmaking. While thinking about where to attend college, Edwards was drawn to big city life — and Columbia College.

“I was attracted to the Core Curriculum, and I liked the idea of committing to my major two years into my education,” he says. “Moving to New York was a change, but it was exactly what I was looking for to push me in the creative direction I wanted to go.”

A film and media studies major, Edwards took as many classes as he could from professors whom he says challenged him and elevated his creativity to new heights. Along the way, he made friends and cultivated connections he knows will be lifelong.

“College is such an important time. You’re questioning and trying to figure things out about yourself, and that pushed me to find the right people,” Edwards says. “I love the person I’ve become at Columbia because of my friends here.”

Edwards has also found friendship and inspiration as a member of the content creation team at the Empire State Building. He joined shortly after starting at the College, and has since worked alongside his colleagues to produce a variety of viral moments for the building’s social media, from dances around the observation deck to interviews with celebrities who visit. He has helped grow an audience of over 4.3 million followers across social platforms for the 94-year-old skyscraper.

The skills he developed off-campus have also enhanced his on-campus communities. As the chief marketing officer of Studio 292, Columbia’s undergraduate film production studio, he oversaw the launch of the group’s rebranded identity over the last year. The ability to tell a compelling story quickly will always be important, Edwards says, whether he’s trying to get audiences together for undergraduate films or tourists to the top of New York City.

“Taking what I’ve learned about getting people’s attention with marketing and storytelling — and then applying that knowledge to the theory I’ve learned in class — has created a great melting pot of skills,” he says. “I feel confident going into the film industry because I have a business-oriented outlook of it, but I also learned a very artistic, theory-based knowledge of how the system works from the film program.”

For his next chapter, Edwards will keep telling stories however he can. He plans to continue his work with the Empire State Building while exploring new ways to grow as a storyteller, communicator and filmmaker.

In the meantime, Edwards says he is excited to celebrate his class’ accomplishments at Class Day, and his speech reflects the desire for his peers to cherish the connections they’ve made at the College and to use their experiences to create their own stories.

“All of us are walking forward with a legacy that’s already begun,” he writes. “Not one built on perfection or marble columns, but one built on presence, intention and the impact we’ve had on each other.”