GS Celebrates the Class of 2022 at Class Day Ceremony
On Monday, May 16, honoring its commitment to hold in-person celebrations once it was safe to do so, the School of General Studies celebrated the accomplishments of not only the Class of 2022 but also the Classes of 2021 and 2020 at GS Class Day.
The School of General Studies celebrated the Classes of 2022, 2021, and 2020 at the GS Class Day ceremony on Monday, May 16, 2022. The ninth Dean of the School of General Studies, Lisa Rosen-Metsch, welcomed guests, faculty, and administrators in recognizing the accomplishments of the members of the graduating classes.
Dean Rosen-Metsch ’90GS began the ceremony by welcoming University President Lee C. Bollinger, Keynote Speaker, Deogratias “Deo” Niyizonkiza ’01, and distinguished faculty and guests. The Dean then reflected on the success and resilience of the Class of 2022.
“I hope you appreciate how valuable you and your fellow GS’ers have been to the intellectual life of Columbia. You represent the cutting edge of American and international undergraduate education, and you have proven yourselves through your academic accomplishments and your dedication to one another and Columbia. We are privileged to count you as life-long members of the Columbia intellectual and alumni communities.”
The School of General Studies embraces the important and distinct vision of access in higher education through its dedication to the education of nontraditional students. Here, you students are welcome because you have the backgrounds you do. Because you understand how much we understand how much you have to offer this community by being a part of it.
President Bollinger spoke next, expressing gratitude for the presence of the GS student body in the Columbia undergraduate classroom, especially during such a difficult year. “As we gather here on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the School of General Studies, I would like to say a few words about its genius. The School of General Studies embraces the important and distinct vision of access in higher education through its dedication to the education of nontraditional students. Here, you students are welcome because you have the backgrounds you do. Because you understand how much we understand how much you have to offer this community by being a part of it.” President Bollinger went on to say, “The School of General Studies serves as a model for peer institutions, pushing everyone to understand the value of admitting nontraditional students to their programs. It’s a trend that I hope we will see more of in the years and decades ahead.”
Mathias Vicherat, President of Science Po, France’s premiere institution for the study of the social sciences, with whom Columbia GS has partnered through the Dual BA Program for more than ten years, also addressed the graduating class. A graduate of Sciences Po, he holds two master’s degrees in political science and public administration and is an alumnus of the École Nationale D’administration.
“Each and every one of you has come a long way. In joining GS, you all took a brave step: that of choosing a school where innovative programs are made possible, where extraordinary life stories are welcomed, cherished and nurtured. At Sciences Po we are in awe of the excellence and of the diversity of the GS community,” he said.
Dean Rosen-Metsch next introduced keynote speaker Deogratias “Deo” Niyizonkiza ’01GS, founder and CEO of Village Health Works, a leading advocate for some of the world’s most impoverished and vulnerable people. A frequent lecturer on global health, Deo is the recipient of multiple prestigious awards, including the 2016 Presidential Medal: Amitiés des Peuples (Burundi) and the Otis Social Justice Award presented by Wheaton College in 2014.
You cannot bring the whole world to Columbia University. With your education and humility, however, you can bring Columbia to the whole world. If you see the world as one humanity, and have the courage to act, you can make a difference in the world, especially in the lives of those who are invisible and others we often see and yet perceive as less human than others. With a shared responsibility, shared accountability, real solidarity and faith in each other, I believe we can make the future a bright one. It is essential.
“On your graduation day, my collective wish for us is that we each do our part to reduce what makes us strangers—and that we grant ourselves permission to be as ambitious as the problems in front of us demand that we are. However you choose to use your own talents and interests, I wish you the joy and struggle of doing hard things with friends. And I wish for you to know that a simple act of kindness, however small it seems in the moment, can ripple out over space and time in ways that are hard to guess,” he said.
Deo was born in rural Burundi, escaping to New York City when his medical studies were interrupted by a catastrophic war that lasted more than a decade and took the lives of hundreds of thousands. Having survived war in Burundi and homelessness in New York City, he eventually enrolled at the Columbia University School of General Studies where he received his bachelor’s degree. He then attended the Harvard School of Public Health and worked at Partners In Health before resuming his medical education at Dartmouth Medical School.
“You cannot bring the whole world to Columbia University. With your education and humility, however, you can bring Columbia to the whole world. If you see the world as one humanity, and have the courage to act, you can make a difference in the world, especially in the lives of those who are invisible and others we often see and yet perceive as less human than others. With a shared responsibility, shared accountability, real solidarity and faith in each other, I believe we can make the future a bright one. It is essential.”
Alison Paige Block ‘20GS addressed the graduating class next, speaking to the unique experiences that the Classes of 2020 and 2021 shared as they worked to overcome the challenges of finding success and graduating during the pandemic.
“We have ALL experienced unforeseen challenge in the past two years. But what we have not lost is our connection to an institution that––from the day we set foot on campus and in every ensuing moment––has asked us to confront challenges in the classroom and beyond with courage. Columbia has given us the tools to think critically and to identify how we can bring forth our passions and skills to find solutions. Perhaps most significantly, Columbia has enabled us to recognize within ourselves an ability to adapt and persevere in challenging contexts,” she said.
A professional ballet dancer originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Ali relocated to continue her professional ballet career as a freelance artist in New York City while pursuing her bachelor’s degree at the Columbia School of General Studies. At GS, Ali studied psychology while continuing to dance, and was an active member and leader in the Columbia Ballet Collaborative. She is currently co-authoring a research paper on professional ballet dancers in the workplace, perfectionism, mental health, and organizational culture through the Boston College School of Management. She is also the executive and research assistant to former Chief Psychiatrist of the State of New York Dr. Rami Kaminski. Ali continues to dance professionally as a company member with Eglevsky Ballet and Thomas/Ortiz Dance.
“I fully expect to see my classmates changing the world in every sector. But beyond their accomplishments, I mostly anticipate with great pride that my GS friends will continue to espouse the values of liberal arts education as we live our lives and pursue our individual paths,” she said.
Dean Rosen-Metsch went on to introduce the GS Class of 2022 Salutatorian, Rose Rhie Kim. After high school, Rose enrolled at Pitzer College, where she worked as a student researcher for the Van Arnam Lab at the W.M. Keck Science Department, studying the properties of fungus-growing ants and their symbionts. Her accomplishments in the lab led directly to the discovery of a novel antibiotic. At GS, Rose chose to pursue a different academic interest—linguistics.
“I realize words aren’t going to solve all of the world’s problems. The debate on words vs. action is centuries old, as evidenced by sayings like “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” and “the pen is mightier than the sword.” But I’m not interested in this argument. In fact, I think they miss the point. The point is not that language is or is not more powerful than force, the point is language allows you to create opportunities and cultivate communities. My time at Columbia has helped expand my linguistic repertoire and many of yours. And so I hope, dear graduates, that you will use these words and skills to help you find the best opportunities and communities as you continue on your journey through life,” she said.
Interested in the intersection between gender inequities and language, Rose wrote her senior thesis on aegyo, a Korean “baby-talk” register, arguing for its importance in conveying what she calls “polite intimacy.” Outside of class, she worked as a teaching assistant in the Linguistics Department. Rose was named to the Dean’s List, and is a member of the GS Honor Society and Phi Beta Kappa. After graduation, she hopes to combine her love for biology, linguistics, and helping others into a career in speech language pathology.
Dean Rosen-Metsch then acknowledged several award winners. The Campbell Award, given to a student leader who shows exceptional leadership and Columbia spirit as exemplified by Bill Campbell ’62CC, ’64TC, was awarded to Michael Higgins. The Alumni Key Award, given to a graduating senior for exceptional achievement and ongoing commitment to leadership and service to the School of General Studies community, was awarded to Jarrell Daniels. The Dean's Citation, given to a graduating student who has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to outstanding leadership and service to the School of General Studies community throughout their academic tenure, was awarded to Serengeti Aliya Timungwa.
Upon the presentation of the 2022 degree candidates by Dean of Students Marlyn Delva, Dean Rosen-Metch introduced the Class of 2022 Valedictorian, Ashley Cullina. Ashley is a graduate of the Dual BA Program between Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University, studying English literature at both institutions. In Dublin, she developed an interest in Irish experimental writing and Gothic fiction, topics she would later pursue in her research and public-facing criticism.
Since her arrival in New York in 2020, Ashley has expanded upon her curricula in English by pursuing a course of study in the digital humanities. Her fluency in programming languages facilitated experiments in computational literary analysis, computational linguistics, and creative projects in e-poetry and mixed media. She assisted with digital humanities research in both Columbia’s Department of Sociology and Barnard’s Department of Computer Science.
“One of the great strengths of this school and its students is that our outlook on what learning can entail is, by its own definition, flexible and ever-expanding. We define what our education looks like, rather than having its criteria prescribed for us. If ‘general’ means ‘non-specific’, another way to think about generality is in the sense of being non-limited, unlimited, without bounds. This is the understanding of the word that I reserve for you all, who have not only overcome limitations in order to be here today, but who, I believe, have poised yourselves to be limitless in the pursuit of your interests and ideals, to continue to be unrestrained in your thought and expansive in your understanding,” she said.
Ashley was named to the Dean’s List, is a member of the GS Honor Society and Phi Beta Kappa, and received departmental honors for her senior thesis on the short fiction of Anna Kavan. After graduation, Ashley plans to pursue work in the publishing sphere of the literary world in her role as a production assistant at Scribner Books.
Dean Rosen-Metsch closed the ceremony and addressed the graduates one last time. “I am honored to be your Dean now and for years to come as you join our strong Columbia GS alumni community. You embody in a spectacular way the mission and vision of GS and Columbia. I hope you will stay involved with your Columbia family far into the future, and I look forward to seeing you all during the coming year’s 75th anniversary celebrations.”
Overview of the Class of 2022
- Number of 2022 Graduates: 579
- The average age is 27; our youngest graduate is 21 and our oldest is 68
- Graduates hail from 32 states and 54 countries
- 28% of graduates are new Americans or international students
- First-generation college graduates: 133
- Number of graduates who were community college Phi Theta Kappa members: 102
- GS Honor Society members graduating: 213
- Phi Beta Kappa inductees graduating: 51
- JTS/GS Joint Program graduates: 24
- Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po graduates: 69
- Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program between City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University: 15
- Dual BA Program between Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University graduates: 23
- Dual Degree Program between Tel Aviv University and Columbia University graduates: 4
- Number of graduates who received a Pell Grant: 173
- U.S. military veterans graduating: 76
- International military veterans graduating: 52