A Night of Celebration: GS Scholarship Reception Brings Donors and Students Together

On the evening of Wednesday, March 12, the historic Low Memorial Library on Columbia University’s Morningside Heights campus buzzed with excitement as students, staff, alumni, and donors came together to celebrate the School of General Studies' scholarship recipients. The annual event honored the generosity of alumni and donors—many of whom had the chance to meet the students whose lives they’ve impacted through donations to the School.

Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch ‘90GS opened the event by celebrating the extraordinary GS community of students, alumni, friends, and supporters, and their steadfast dedication to helping make the School’s mission possible.

“This moment in higher education demands that we reaffirm and redefine our commitment to access and opportunity. GS stands as a powerful message—a college that expands access and creates opportunity, not beholden to the traditional notions of access, built to empower social mobility and strengthen Columbia’s impact on the world based on the idea that talent and potential come in many forms,” she said. “Every named scholarship recipient here tonight is proof of why GS matters—not just to Columbia, but to the future of higher education and communities around the world.”

Following Dean Rosen-Metsch, Columbia University Interim President Katrina Armstrong took the stage and spoke about holding true to oneself in the face of adversity and the myriad ways that, at its best, Columbia is GS. “The School of General Studies is the true keeper of Columbia’s spirit of educational equity…Each year the diversity and excellence of GS’s new cohort of students somehow manages to surpass their remarkably impressive predecessors,” she remarked.

The evening featured two speakers who each spoke about the transformative power of education in their lives and how GS helped them make their dreams a reality: Keren Gottesman Weltsch ‘02GS, ‘08BUS and Dominic Dupont ‘26GS. 

An art world executive and dynamic leader within the GS community and Board of Visitors member, Gottesman Weltsch implored the scholarship recipients to embrace the moment and keep pushing forward. “As someone who once sat where you are, I promise: you’ve got this. This is your moment. Embrace it with everything you’ve got. Strive for academic brilliance, engage with your community, lead with courage, and don’t forget to give back—because one day, you’ll be the ones in this room, lifting others up.”

A recipient of the Open Society Foundations Scholarship, Dupont has dedicated his life to criminal legal system reform, mentorship, and public safety initiatives after spending 20 years in prison. He reflected on his mindset during those two decades and how the voluntary education program became a catalyst for how he thought about his future and the positive impact he wanted to make in his community and beyond.

“I realized that a setback was a setup for a comeback,” he said.

In 2017, he was granted executive clemency and, since starting at GS last year, is continuing his mission by studying sociology and working toward a more just and equitable society.

“I have a vision of the future where GS continues to be the college that supports the very best nontraditional students, including people who have overcome the worst of life and are now making strides to transform their lives and the lives of others, without the barrier of cost. I now know the transformative power of education, I understand the opportunity it represents. I am proof of this,” he shared. “I’m so thankful to all of you in this room tonight because I have also seen that true access is only possible with the kind of support that you have provided to GS students. And I’m more hopeful than ever for the future because I know that we can do this work together—to realize the dreams of so many future GS students.”