After four years spent discovering a love of learning at Mesa Community College in Arizona, Robbie LeDesma '14 experienced a critical medical crisis that inspired him to take his education more seriously. With a solidified direction, LeDesma completed his associate degree with almost double the number of required credits, a major scholarship to a university in Arizona, and the necessary skills and confidence to enroll at Columbia. LeDesma graduated from GS in 2014 and is finishing up his final year as a Ph.D student at Princeton University, where he is studying molecular…
On Wednesday, October 21, faculty, staff, friends, and family gathered virtually to celebrate the induction of 78 students into the School of General Studies Honor Society. The GS Honor Society was created in 1997 to recognize the exceptional academic achievements of GS students who have earned a cumulative GPA of at least 3.8 in more than 30 points of academic coursework at Columbia.
Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the nation’s oldest and largest honor society for students seeking associate degrees and credentials from community colleges, discusses the the success of community college students who become members of PTK and later decide to transfer to traditional four-year colleges, including the Columbia University School of General Studies.
Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery, Superintendent and President of Santa Monica College, discusses the important role community colleges play in higher education today, and the success of community college students who decide to transfer to traditional four-year colleges, including the Columbia University School of General Studies.
Before transferring to the Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) in 2017, Chris Thompson traveled the world, from Los Angeles to Croatia, as a professional chef. While his profession was profoundly satisfying, he knew he needed something more.
Many community college students have failed to connect with learning in a meaningful way at other institutions or have been forced to overcome significant challenges. To struggle and even fail, and then come back and find your own path forward reduces the fear of failure while strengthening self-reliance. Community college students are often forced to figure it out on their own and once they do, they have a determination and resiliency that carries them forward.
Fredrick Ochoa dreamed of becoming a doctor in high school, but fear set in just before he began college in New York City. Then, as COVID-19 began to develop around the world, he found himself returning to his dreams of becoming a doctor and turned to a friend who recommended Columbia University's Postbac Premed Program.
This April, the GS Alumni Relations team launched “Alumni in Conversation,” a new event series aimed at bringing together students, alumni, and members of the wider Columbia community for engaging conversations led by alumni with diverse experiences and expertise.
The Justice and Pandemics Preparedness Academy is a partnership among the Columbia School of General Studies, the Mailman School of Public Health, and the Columbia School of Social Work that is open to students from all four undergraduate schools and provides students with the opportunity to learn, first-hand, about the intersection of pandemic preparedness and systemic racism. This fall, it welcomes 24 students into its first cohort.
After serving five years in prison, James Harvey Elliott discovered his passion: prison reform. As he begins his GS journey this fall, his drive to increase access to higher education in the American prison system continues to grow.
On Monday, August 31, 2020, more than 800 incoming School of General Studies (GS) undergraduate and Postbac Premed students along with their guests, GS staff, and Orientation Leaders, convened for the School’s first-ever virtual New Student Welcome event—streamed live on the School’s website—to celebrate the beginning of the fall 2020 semester.
Paola Cruz, raised in a small town in the Philippines by her grandmother, moved to New York City on her own at 19. After battling a crippling autoimmune disease and working various odd jobs to support herself, Cruz enrolled at La Guardia Community College. Never having dreamt about attending an Ivy League university as a first-generation, low-income student (FGLI), Cruz was proud to be admitted to GS and awarded a Program for Academic Leadership and Service (PALS) Scholarship. She began her first semester in Fall 2018, and has since become an advocate for other FGLI students…