On Wednesday, November 11, GS student veterans joined the University’s float at the 107th New York City Veterans Day Parade. This year’s procession marks the 18th consecutive year that Columbia GS has been a major sponsor of the parade. Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch, members of the Military Veterans of Columbia University (MilVets), the Women Veterans of Columbia University (WVCU), alumni, friends, family, and GS administrators joined the celebration.
This year’s parade, which is organized by the United War Veterans Council, honored 250 years of American independence and marked 25 years since the September 11 attacks. It began at 12:30 p.m. at 26th Street in lower Manhattan, and participants marched over 20 blocks up 5th Avenue. According to the organizers, the parade routinely draws over 20,000 marchers and more than 25 floats.
For student veterans at Columbia, GS’s participation in the parade is more than just a ceremony. The parade is “an opportunity to recognize the sacrifices, resilience, and experiences of veterans from all walks of life,” said Paula Enriquez, president of WVCU and current GS student. “Many of us leave the military and face the challenge of rediscovering our purpose and identity. Being able to march alongside fellow veterans, especially while representing Columbia, is a reminder of how far we've come and the communities that continue to stand behind us,” she added.
For Enriquez, a veteran of the U.S. Army and Air National Guard, it is also a significant moment of solidarity, creating a space where veterans feel a sense of belonging. “I want women veterans, in particular, to know that they don't have to prove they belong in veteran spaces or academic spaces,” she said. “They have already earned their place in both.”
