“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 feel like it’s common now among seniors, at least among my friends, to mark the occasion when we finally broke down crying about this unexpected end to our senior year. There is a sort of catharsis in this act. In many ways, being physically apart has brought us closer together, and it has underscored that what is, and has been, most important this year is celebrating how far we’ve all come.

“Lateral learning is the hallmark of a liberal arts education, according to a professor of mine. That has certainly been the case for my time at Columbia. I’ve learned so much from my professors, but I have learned as much, if not more, from my peers. I will treasure the lessons I’ve gotten from them, which I believe have made me a better citizen, scholar and friend.

“The most important lesson I will take away is this: Nothing is worth doing if it is not in the service of others. The greatest thing we can do with our education is to work toward change, no matter how big or small, that promotes a fairer world.”