GS Welcomes the Spring 2024 Incoming Class
Columbia GS welcomed 182 new students at Spring 2024 Convocation and the New Student Orientation Program.
On Monday, January 8, the School of General Studies’s Spring 2024 Convocation was held at Alfred J. Lerner Hall. Students, families, GS staff, alumni, and orientation leaders gathered to celebrate the start of 182 new Undergraduate and Postbac Premed students’ Columbia journeys.
“As a professor and as an alumna of GS, I am honored and proud to be the Dean of this extraordinary school, and so very pleased to start the spring 2024 semester in our School’s 77th academic year, together with you this morning,” said Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch ‘90GS in her opening remarks. “Congratulations to the newest students of Columbia University!”
New students then heard from GS Dean of Students Marlyn Delva ‘98BC, ‘99TC, ‘13TC who spoke to the power of new beginnings. “Just last week many of us were ushering in a new year,” she said, noting that this time is often used “to reflect, to take stock of the year that passed, and set the stage for the year ahead.” Dean Delva continued, “For many of you, last week was an important reminder of the decision you made to join us, and the road ahead for you as a GS student.” She shared that while the path ahead won’t always be smooth, “you will not face these challenges and struggles alone. You have a team prepared to support you every step of the way. You will experience a community ready to respect your history, but help build your future.”
At the close of her remarks, Dean Delva led the crowd in a beloved tradition of GS convocations, celebrating the unique experiences held by GS community members by having folks stand for the identities that applied to them, such as being student veterans, community college transfer students, student parents, first-generation college students, and more.
“When I see the talent, the commitment, and the passion of our new Postbac Premed students, the next generation of healthcare professionals, I feel optimistic, and I am filled with hope and pride.”
Next, Postbac Premed Dean James Colgrove ‘01MSPH, ‘04GSAS extended a special welcome to the program’s incoming students and future healthcare professionals. “You are starting your premedical studies at a historical moment that is both exciting and unsettled,” he shared, citing the simultaneous existence of rapid medical advancement and a myriad of healthcare crises. “The challenges ahead of us are formidable. But when I see the talent, the commitment, and the passion of our new Postbac Premed students, the next generation of healthcare professionals, I feel optimistic, and I am filled with hope and pride.”
Incoming students also heard from alumni speaker Christopher Riano ‘07GS, a prominent scholar and practitioner of public and constitutional law, and 2023-2024 Student Body President Nasser Odetallah ‘25GS. “I want to welcome you on behalf of the thousands and thousands of alumni that have sat exactly where you’re sitting,” said Riano. “Those who have come before you are a resource for the rest of your time as part of this community…We’ve been in your shoes. We know what’s possible in this journey.”
“GS has served as a transforming moment in my life to reclaim my wellbeing, my passions, and my character. I hope by the time you all graduate, many of you can reflect back on your time here in a similar manner.”
Odetallah, a first-generation college student and second bachelor’s degree candidate, also spoke to the expansive possibilities of the Columbia experience, inside and outside of the classroom. “The GS community has widened my understanding of fulfillment in life and the challenges others have overcome in their own pursuit of fulfillment,” he shared. “ Personally, GS has served as a transforming moment in my life to reclaim my wellbeing, my passions, and my character. I hope by the time you all graduate, many of you can reflect back on your time here in a similar manner.”
Following Odetallah’s remarks, Dean Delva returned to close out Convocation by introducing the GS teams who are here to support GSers throughout their time at Columbia and beyond. New Student Orientation Program (NSOP) chair Faith Grady ‘24GS then directed incoming students into the rest of NSOP programming, which continued throughout the week and featured programs designed to build student community, provide instrumental academic resources, and familiarize students with campus, the Morningside Heights neighborhood, and New York City as a whole.
Congratulations and a big welcome to our spring 2024 incoming GSers!
