GS Celebrates the Class of 2026 at Class Day Ceremony
On Monday, May 18, the School of General Studies celebrated the outstanding accomplishments of the 827 members of the Class of 2026.
The School of General Studies celebrated the Class of 2026 at the GS Class Day Ceremony on Monday, May 18, 2026.
Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch opened the ceremony with a warm welcome to the Class of 2026, their loved ones, Columbia faculty, GS administrators , and distinguished guests, including representatives from some of GS’s partner institutions. Dean Rosen-Metsch shared "As GSers, you know better than most what life can throw your way, and you understand why our School’s mission remains so vital: to recognize diverse and often nonlinear paths, to honor the nontraditional student, and to fully integrate them into the Columbia undergraduate experience.”
Dean Rosen-Metsch then extended a special welcome to Luis Vassy, President of Sciences Po in France, who was in attendance to celebrate the Class of 2026 Salutatorian, who graduated from the Dual BA Program Between Sciences Po and Columbia University.
“You made a decision that said something profound about who you are. You chose not the easier path, but the more adventurous one,” said President Vassy in his address to the Class of 2026. “You chose to leave behind the familiar—your language, your country, your comfort zone—and to begin again, somewhere new, with a different set of rules, a different rhythm of life, a different intellectual vocabulary.”
Following President Vassy’s remarks, Dean Rosen-Metsch introduced Larry J. Lawrence ‘69GS, ‘71BUS, the 2026 Class Day Keynote Speaker. A Marine Corps veteran, finance expert, and two-time Columbia alumnus, Lawrence is currently the manager of JPBC Associates, LLC, a family investment company. Since November 2010, he has been a director of the Columbia Investment Management Company, which manages the University's $16 billion endowment fund.
In his remarks, Lawrence spoke about the unique experiences that GS students share and the community value of investing in oneself. Lawrence shared:“GS invests in talent that may not fit traditional metrics. And each of you, long before anyone else could fully measure the potential return, made that first and most important investment in yourselves.”
Lawrence continued, stating that “the deepest and most lasting happiness will come not simply from your own success, but from helping others discover their own promise, take their own risks, and cross their own impossible-seeming finish lines. That is what GS has done for you.”
“the deepest and most lasting happiness will come not simply from your own success, but from helping others discover their own promise, take their own risks, and cross their own impossible-seeming finish lines. That is what GS has done for you.”
Dean Rosen-Metsch then presented several awards to distinguished graduates. The Alumni Key Award, given in recognition of outstanding campus involvement and academic accomplishment, was presented to Aleigh Alarie ‘26GS, senior class president, peer advisor, ARC tutor, and orientation leader.
Next, Dean Rosen-Metsch presented the Campbell Award, given to a student who demonstrates exceptional leadership and Columbia spirit, to Robert Mulvey ‘26GS, a former professional ballet dancer and incoming Ph.D. student in Theatre and Performance Studies at Columbia School of the Arts.
Lastly, Dean Rosen-Metsch introduced the Class of 2026 Salutatorian, Penelope Gelman ‘26GS, a graduate of the Dual BA Program Between Sciences Po and Columbia University. Admitted to Harvard Law School through the Junior Deferral Program, she intends to spend the two years prior to her matriculation at Harvard Law working in international development and humanitarian assistance.
GS Dean of Students Marlyn Delva then presented the 2026 degree candidates, marking the official transition of the graduates from students to alumni. Following the presentation of the degree candidates, Dean Rosen-Metsch introduced the Valedictorian of the Class of 2026, Regina Fox ‘26GS, a journalist, communications professional, multilingual scholar, and student-parent.
Fox graduates summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and is a member of Dobro Slovo (the National Slavic Honor Society) and the GS Honor Society. She was awarded the Olga H. Knoepke Scholarship—one of the named scholarships reserved by GS for its most accomplished students. Fox will continue her studies at Columbia's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as a Harriman Institute Fellow. Her graduate work will focus on the cross-border information ecosystems of the post-Soviet space, examining how the underlying logic of persuasion adapts across technologies, from early Soviet propaganda to AI-driven media today.
In her address to the graduates, Fox shared that “people keep telling me I’m brave for going back to college at my age. Well, I might be brave, but I’m also really bad at finishing some things. Like diets. And push-ups. I’m great at finishing entire Netflix seasons in one sitting. But finishing a degree? Not until GS. And it did take guts. And diligent work, and tons of reading, and lots of sleepless nights. I know you can relate.” Reflecting on her journey at GS, Fox relayed that “Columbia did not give us easy answers—no university does. But it gave us something better. It taught us not WHAT to think, but HOW to think—under pressure, under stress, and with care."
"Columbia did not give us easy answers—no university does. But it gave us something better. It taught us not WHAT to think, but HOW to think—under pressure, under stress, and with care."
“I am honored to be your dean now and for years to come as you join our strong Columbia GS alumni community,” said Dean Rosen-Metsch as she concluded the ceremony, once again congratulating the Class of 2026 and welcoming them into the Columbia alumni family.
Overview of the Class of 2026
- Number of Graduates: 827
- The average age is 30; our youngest graduate is 20 and our oldest is 75
- Graduates hail from 42 states and 68 countries
- 33% of graduates are new Americans or international students
- First-generation college graduates: 219
- Number of graduates who were community college Phi Theta Kappa members: 177
- GS Honor Society members graduating: 341
- Phi Beta Kappa inductees graduating: 77
- Program for Academic Leadership and Service graduates: 7
- JTS/GS Joint Program graduates: 40
- Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po graduates: 92
- Joint Bachelor’s Degree Program between City University of Hong Kong and Columbia University: 23
- Dual BA Program between Trinity College Dublin and Columbia University graduates: 63
- Dual Degree Program between Tel Aviv University and Columbia University graduates: 37
- Number of graduates who received a Pell Grant: 220
- U.S. military veterans graduating: 91
- International military veterans graduating: 71