Tyler Zimmet is a Los Angeles native who had always wanted to go to college on the East Coast. And now, as he prepares to graduate from Columbia College with degrees in both History and Economics, he plans to stay in New York — at least, he said, for now.

Brianna Olamiju dreamed of becoming a doctor for so long, she can’t remember when the idea first struck her. The first in her family to pursue medicine, and also the first to attend an Ivy League school, Olamiju has set her sights on serving the underserved and educating people about health through mentorship and outreach.

Phumzile Nelisiwe Sitole is my full given name. A name I love watching Americans try and pronounce. I am an international student here at Columbia, from South Africa.

When Ryan Rivera began his undergraduate studies at Columbia four years ago, he had no idea he would soon leave his pre-med program to pursue a new passion: economics. He had a hunch, however, that in choosing Columbia, he had chosen a future full of hard work, challenges, and new discoveries—about himself, and about the world outside of his hometown.

When Sarah Yang visited Columbia as a prospective student, she thought she might like to study engineering. Others had told her she would excel in the field, but like many recent high school graduates, Yang was passionate about so many subjects that choosing a major seemed overwhelming.

Please note: The ID Center has reopened. Thank you for your patience while we dealt with some urgent repairs.
 

Julian NoiseCat  came to Columbia for three main reasons: The Manhattan location—the perfect place to spend one’s early twenties, he said—the promise of learning the Great Books of Western civilization, and the unique opportunity to build a Native American community where there wasn’t one before.

“When an admissions officer told me Columbia was looking to build a space for Native students, I knew I needed to be a part of it,” he said.

The Student Service Center and ID Center will be closed from Thursday, December 25 until Monday, January 5.