Alumni from Columbia's School of General Studies (GS) will share their insights and advice on switching career paths. Panelists will answer questions and share their motivations for their career transition, the challenges they faced entering a new field, and what they are doing now. This informal panel discussion will be followed by Q&A and is hosted virtually via Zoom.
This event is open to students and alumni from across all schools.
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Alumni Panelists
Lenny Ciotti '22GS
Lenny Ciotti was born in Italy and began acting professionally at the age of 12. After starring in several musical theater national tours in Italy, Lenny landed a role in a sitcom for RAI (Italy’s national television station). In 2007, he moved to New York to attend the Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute. In New York, he continued acting in National tours and Off-Broadway productions alongside names like Austin Pendleton, Fred Willard, Shirley Knight, and Rip torn. After a time working for Oxfam America, Lenny decided to complete his education. While in community college, he fell in love with economics and decided to pursue an econ degree. He enrolled at GS in 2018 and graduated in 2022. He is currently working as a data analyst for the Columbia University Irving Medical Center.
Yasmeen Ibrahim ‘19GS
Yasmeen Ibrahim was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, before moving to the United States at the age of 10. After completing high school, Yasmeen began a career in the beauty and fashion industries where she worked as a makeup stylist with clients including Bill Gates, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Dr. Deepak Chopra, and the legendary Tony Bennett. Yasmeen also played a key role in the 2012 presidential election, and along with a talented team of industry professionals, won an Emmy Award for her work during the election’s televised coverage. Her time as an artist and stylist with such brilliant minds led her on the journey to discover and fulfill her own intellectual curiosity, and after a decade in the beauty industry, Yasmeen joined Columbia GS to study Psychology and Business Management. During her time at Columbia, Yasmeen worked as a Resident Advisor, Research Assistant at Columbia Business School, and was appointed as Chief of Campus Life with the student council. Yasmeen graduated magna cum laude in 2019, and currently works as a Management Consultant at Accenture, where she leads Change Management and Learning & Development efforts for various clients.
Joshua Scott '21GS
Joshua graduated from Columbia's School of General Studies in 2021, earning a BA in sociocultural anthropology with a research focus on climate change and social movements. Before returning to school to complete his undergraduate education, Joshua was a firefighter and EMT with the Bainbridge Island Fire Department in Washington. He is currently a researcher in financial executive search while he prepares to apply to law school.
