My GS Story

"When I decided to retire from my career as a professional ballet dancer, I accepted with some trepidation that I would be starting from scratch as I pursued jobs outside the dance world. Matriculating at General Studies enabled me to lose that fear and make a full-fledged commitment to the new direction of my life. Courses like Regime Change in the Middle East and Late Ottoman State and Society, combined with the skills and relationships I developed in student groups like the General Studies Student Council, prepared me to excel in a position at an influential foreign policy institution. My college experience turned a difficult career transition into an amazing opportunity for intensive academic and social exploration, and ultimately, helped me discover a whole new world!"

"As a kid, when my mom Fannie Mae went to church in the evenings, I spent my time repairing neighbors' knob-less black and white TVs needing antennas or their faulty light switches that sparked when flipped. My motto became "I fix things." These inner-city survival skills led to a career in the construction industry, yet I knew I had more to give to the world. As a student in GS's Program for Academic Leadership and Service, I am getting the education to fix things on a different level - one that allows me to pursue my dream of cultivating a positive environment for underprivileged youth through my ultimate goal of building an educational institution where their dreams can be realized."

"Having grown up the son of a hardworking plumber, I learned early that my career had to be something I loved doing, not just a job. That’s one of the reasons I became a professional ballet dancer and the main incentive I had for moving all the way from California to New York and studying here at Columbia. Since beginning my studies here, the opportunities that Columbia and New York City have offered have been unbelievable. I’ve discussed US policy with world-renowned professors, listened to heads of state speak on human rights, taken restoration ecology classes in the Brazilian rainforest and art history classes in Venice, Italy. I’ve also had the fantastic experience of being a member of the Columbia rowing team and rowing on the Harlem River. As a student at Columbia, you have the opportunities that New York City has to offer. I’ve seen shows of American Ballet Theater and seen incredible art exhibits at MoMa and the Whitney. Being a student at the School of General Studies at Columbia University has afforded me so many amazing experiences and opportunities, and I feel lucky."

“School and I never got along: my third grade teacher had me tested for the gifted program; my fourth grade teacher for special ed. By high school, I had enough and dropped out. I didn't slack off: over the years I explored careers from paralegal to performance artist to social worker to world traveler (not really a very lucrative career), but nothing felt right. At 29, I got my GED and discovered that I had an undiagnosed mathematics disability. A chance meeting with a Columbia professor in a local bakery led me to GS. When I stepped on to campus, it immediately felt right, and I submitted my application the next day. At first, I was only admitted provisionally, but I've proven myself, making the Dean's List several times.”

"At GS I encountered professors and mentors who were keen and honest observers of the world they inhabit. I attended classes with an amazing variety of people, all of whom have enriched my life and my worldview. I’m also grateful to have been able to share my culture and my passion with our campus community by organizing a concert, with the help of the Heyman Center for Humanities, by Ustaad Amjad Ali Khan, one of the foremost exponents of South Asian classical music."

"Leaving my close-knit family and my life long friendships behind when I moved to New York from California to attend GS was very hard, but it was something I had to do. I was fortunate to have had a lucrative career as an insurance broker, but all my success came in a field that I sincerely wanted to leave. Ultimately, I decided to downsize my life, and I moved into a relative's house so that I could pursue my education. I took a risk, and it has been totally worth it. My dream is to teach elementary school, so here I am, making that happen, and I'm not looking back!"

“When I was training as a synchronized swimmer, I was in the pool too early to watch the morning news, and after a 10-hour day of training, I was too exhausted to do anything but fall asleep. I felt pretty out of touch with the world outside of swimming. After competing in the Olympics, I wanted to see what other challenges awaited me, so I applied to GS. It’s comforting that I’m not the only person who took an alternate path to follow an extraordinary dream. Now, I’m working toward the next one. And the nice difference between academics and synchronized swimming—when I study, I don’t have to hold my breath.”

"I’ve always enjoyed studying politics, so majoring in political science seemed like excellent preparation for a career in law enforcement. But I’ve also enjoyed sampling some of the other disciplines at Columbia—for example, the Chinese Summer Language Program in Beijing was truly an exceptional opportunity. I’ve participated in student government and, although it was occasionally difficult to manage my responsibilities with my studies and outside obligations, the depth that they’ve added to my overall academic experience has been invaluable.

My favorite Columbia moment took place on the last day of my favorite class, “Challenges of Sustainable Development,” when Professor Jeffrey Sachs quoted the words of John F. Kennedy: “And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet” In that moment I realized Professor Sachs, over the course of the semester, had given me the tools to become a better member of our human family. For that, I was and am, most grateful."

"GS students enliven and enrich my courses. It is great to have people who have studied and worked as artists, accountants, publishers, historians, entrepreneurs, and chefs in a science class. They bring many different perspectives from their wide ranging life and work experiences, and through their perspectives I see my course material in new and insightful ways. They are smart, determined, energetic, competitive, and questioning. They demand a lot of themselves and of me. They challenge me and I challenge them. I try my best to respond and I know they do too. We are all better because of that."

"I am a single mom of three who used to live in one of the poorest economic sections of the Bronx. In my quest to secure strong public schools for my kids, I ended up motivating and teaching other parents how to do the same. However, as I spoke to students and encouraged them to seek the best for themselves, I realized that I had not done that for myself. So, after prompting from my office director, I applied to the School of General Studies and am soundly on my way to becoming a true role model for my children and hopefully all NYC kids."