Rewriting What’s Possible: Aleigh Alarie ’26GS on Resilience and Finding Her Voice

Aleigh Alarie ‘26GS is used to wearing many hats—peer advisor, ARC tutor, orientation leader, and Senior Class President, to name a few! Alarie’s dreams for her future have vacillated from owning a bakery, to writing a book, to mentoring students. As this chapter closes, the creative writing major feels like the best version of herself, and owes it all to GS!

Tell us about your path to GS.

When I was 23 years old, I was diagnosed with a Giant Cell Bone Tumor that had broken one of my vertebrae and I needed two days of life saving surgery, including a spinal fusion. I had just graduated from culinary school a couple of years earlier and suddenly my dreams of one day owning my own bakery were dashed. It wouldn't be physically possible for me anymore. I took it in stride as much as I could and tried to figure out what else I could do that would make me happy. I was a bookseller in the children's department of Barnes and Noble for a while, which then evolved into me becoming a Pre-K teacher. I attended the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) so I could get a degree in Early Childhood Ed & Development, but I knew it wasn't what I wanted to do forever. I wanted something more creative, something that allowed me to express myself the way baking and cake decorating had. As I prepared to graduate from CCRI, I got emails and letters from GS urging me to apply and when I looked up the possible majors I could do, I found creative writing. I've always loved to write and decided that this would be the perfect opportunity for me to get my creativity back and do something I love that my physical health couldn't take away from me.

What has been your proudest moment at Columbia?:

I've been lucky to have so many proud moments at this school, but I think getting the email saying I'll be receiving the Alumni Key Award at Class Day this year would have to be at the top of the list!

Tell us about a person at Columbia that was instrumental to you during your time at GS.

The person most instrumental to me during my time at GS has been Dean Sara Remedios-Bloom. She was one of the first faces I saw when I did the online modules for Jumpstart, and then when I did it again in person. She was one of the instructors for my University Studies section and now one of my supervisors at the Academic Resource Center. I've held a lot of roles on this campus in the last three years, but none of them would have been possible if it hadn't been for Sara's support, reassurance, and belief in me. From day one she has provided me (and all of our GS community!) with the tools and kindness I needed to be successful in this environment.

What advice would you give to a student who's about to start their GS journey?

Give yourself grace as you get through that first semester. It's a whole 14 weeks of brand new things all the time. Your first time in class, your first essays, your first midterms and finals, all of it. It's okay if it's not perfect and it's okay if it's hard because you can do hard things.

What are your plans for after graduation?

My goal is to get into higher education and continue working with students like I have as a Peer Advisor and tutor, and also work on the novel I'm writing. My plan is to do some writing and apply for jobs on a beach in Rhode Island while I give myself a much needed break after the last three years!

GS has changed my life and helped me believe in myself and my abilities in ways I didn't know possible. Through my jobs, classes, the administration, and friendships made, I feel like the best version of myself and I can't thank the school enough for everything it's done for me.