Veteran News and Profiles

In honor of Veterans Day, GS is featuring a number of students and alumni who have served in armed forces around the world. Nearly 500 military veterans are currently enrolled at GS—21 percent of the School's student body. 

The School of General Studies traces its commitment to veterans back to 1947. Today, with nearly 500 veterans enrolled at GS, Columbia boasts the highest undergraduate veteran student enrollment in the Ivy League.

Tickets are now on sale for the 10th annual Columbia University Military Ball, the premier event uniting veterans across the University community, with discounts available for GS students through the end of the year. Proceeds support programming for veterans and military family members nationwide while strengthening support services for the 700+ veterans enrolled at Columbia.

After a childhood spent in Cuba and a military career focused on combat training, Jorge Pintado took an unexpected route into an Ivy League education—a place he never thought he would end up. Today, he is exploring his personal and familial background as a Latin American and Caribbean studies major on his way to pursuing a graduate degree in international studies or law.

The School of General Studies strives to create a supportive environment that addresses the specific needs of veteran students who, in addition to acclimating to a new academic environment, are faced with adjusting to civilian life.

In 2015 the School of General Studies partnered with the Moody's Corporation to create the Moody’s Veteran Program, an initiative designed to improve opportunities for veterans and ease their transition into the workforce. Through the partnership, qualified veteran students at the School are awarded scholarships and provided mentorship, internship opportunities, and other career-related guidance that can positively impact their journey beyond the military.

GS student Rachel Ballew is no stranger to manual labor or arduous conditions, having served in the U.S. Marine Corps for nearly ten years. Last spring, a GS alumnus told her about a water infrastructure project in Morocco whose mission was to provide a sustainable, accessible water source for remote areas. Ballew immediately wanted to learn more.

At Columbia University, the support provided to veterans extends well beyond the Morningside Campus gates. And at the School of General Studies, the veteran experience doesn’t end with graduation.