Columbia University School of General Studies

Join the Columbia University School of General Studies Alumni Association for a winter reception on March 4! Enjoy a virtual wine tasting and lively conversation with Ken Catandella, co-founder of the Columbia Alumni Association Wine Industry Network, wine educator and consultant, and Senior Executive Director of the CAA, and Sarah Goler '07SEAS, wine director and founder of Tannat, a farm-to-table restaurant with a natural wine program in NYC. Details and to register: https://bit.ly/3bemo4N

"We can dress and feel good about ourselves while having a positive impact on the planet and improvingnot degradingpeople’s lives." Heide Morris '21GS talks about #sustainablefashion and helping fight poverty in Haiti with Rebuild Globally and #ethicalfashion brand Deux Mains Designs. Read more: https://bit.ly/3q6vGDS

Earlier this week, faculty, staff, friends, and family gathered virtually to celebrate the induction of 71 students into the GS Honor Society. Congratulations GS'ers! #GSpride https://bit.ly/37TSMY2

Interested in becoming a part of a vibrant community of nontraditional students? GS is the only college of its kind created to meet the needs of returning and nontraditional students seeking an Ivy League undergraduate degree full- or part-time. The Early Action deadline to apply for Fall 2021 enrollment is quickly approaching on Monday, March 1. For more details and how to apply: https://bit.ly/3dTvZiX

2/24: The pandemic has left many pondering their next career move, or considering a return to graduate school. Hear from a panel of experts who will offer advice and discuss their outlook on graduate school admissions and the job market in 2021. Panelists will include: Elle Littlefield ‘12GS Founder of Talent Anthropology, an online course to help people learn how to make their job search more efficient and effective... Sara Remedios Bloom Associate Dean of Students and Director of Academic and Learning Initiatives, directing the Academic Resource Center in addition to overseeing the Dean of Students Office's academic and learning initiatives Crissy Darmstadt ‘14GS Senior Recruiter at ViacomCBS, formerly recruiting for BuzzFeed, The Street, and NBCUniversal Register: https://bit.ly/2ZHapWL

Some of the problems with the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines have clear historical precedent. James Colgrove, Dean of the Columbia University Postbac Premed Program, recently spoke with The Boston Globe about the confusion and chaos that transpired during the rollout of Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine in 1955.

Coming to campus at any point this spring? Stay up-to-date on Columbia University in the City of New York's health and safety policy, protocols for returning to campus, guidance on testing, and more. #StayHealthy and #KeepTheCompact this semester. For more info, visit: https://covid19.columbia.edu/

Join the Columbia University School of General Studies Alumni Association for Third Thursdays! This month, hear Dean Rosen-Metsch '90GS and Jeffrey Patrick '13GS talk about the successes and failures of contact tracing in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic. More details and to register: https://bit.ly/3btKzMU

Join GS Student Life on January 14 for Brave Spaces, a safe and inclusive space for community dialogue. This session will serve as a reflection space following the violence last week at the Capitol, notably the racist disparities in the responses to this attack and the peaceful Black Lives Matter protests last summer. https://bit.ly/3nGodu6

Did you know: Columbia's campus is an early voting polling location? Find your early voting poll site in NYC (pro tip: It may be different from your typical site): https://findmypollsite.vote.nyc/ #ColumbiaVotes

FRIDAY: the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration is hosting a virtual college fair for active duty service members and military veterans interested in enrolling in two- and four- year institutions. Representatives from 100+ institutions of higher education will be available to speak with students, including GS, Princeton University, Harvard University, UC Berkeley, Virginia Tech, Johns Hopkins University, and more. Register: https://bit.ly/37NuO1A

At 11, I witnessed my grandfather being taken for ransom by an insurgent group in Damascus; luckily we got him back alive. At 12, I lost the place I called home, Aleppo, and became an immigrant. At 13, Syrian rebels stole my father's factory. After turning 17, I was hospitalized with a mystery diagnosis, having lost the ability to walk. That same year, I also began experiencing problems with sleep. I found myself sleepy all the time, even if I had just woken up from a nine-h...our rest. Realizing I wasn’t the only one having difficulties, I began extensive research on sleep's effect in our daily lives, and found a direct correlation between socioeconomic status and sleep challengesand how very little resources exist to help. I returned to school at 18, but was forced to take a medical gap year after graduating. I took it as an opportunity to officially found End No Sleep, Inc., a nonprofit I had dreamt of starting that would make sleep resources available to underserved, refugee, and immigrant communities where mental health and sleep are often neglected. Determined to regain my health, I focused my time on building skills I needed for the real world while balancing my medical problems; it was my time of transition from a student to an independent young adult. Now at 20, I’m grateful for my experiences and excited at the opportunity to pave my own path, fueled by the belief that getting a good night's sleep is a human right and should not be a luxury. I hope to help people understand what sleep is and how it affects the brain. I’ve found a passion for advocating policies that help improve sleep, such as later school start times or policies that help professional drivers obtain enough sleep to function best on the road. Every political, medical, and social setback has taught me more about the value of education. Columbia GS will accept me for who I am: a student who has forgotten what it’s like to be one. Coming from a background where I have seen my home, health, and sense of comfort fall apart, I will have the chance to rebuild surrounded by peers whose stories will inspire me and professors with an enthusiasm to teach me. - GS student Nancy Bosnoian #myGSstory

That's a wrap! THANK YOU for your support of nontraditional education on #ColumbiaGivingDay. Our students are parents, first-generation college students, refugees, formerly incarcerated, international, athletes, veteransindividuals with countless inspiring stories and backgroundsand your generosity helps GS change lives that change the world by providing the opportunity for these students to pursue their dream of a Columbia education.

It's time to shine, GSers! From 9-10 p.m. EDT tonight, share a selfie (past or present) wearing your Columbia swag on social media mentioning GS and using the hashtag #ColumbiaGivingDay and you'll give GS a chance at winning additional $ for student scholarships!

GS is proud to be the premier destination for nontraditional students seeking a rigorous, traditional undergraduate education. GSers are parents, first-generation college students, refugees, formerly incarcerated, international, athletes, veterans, and individuals with countless inspiring stories and backgrounds. With your support, we can provide exceptional GS students like Ebonnie Goodfield '23, Jarrell Daniels '23, and Qutaiba Idlbi '20 the opportunity to pursue a Columbia education, and to continue changing lives that change the world. Please visit the link in our bio to make a gift today on #ColumbiaGivingDay.

Have a minute? Take a study break and write a thank-you note to our generous #ColumbiaGivingDay donorsfour writers will have the opportunity to award $1,000 in challenge funds to GS, which goes directly toward scholarships for GS students! Submit your note here by 5 p.m. EDT today: https://bit.ly/34xXXf8

Do you have the cutest pet? Between 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. EDT, help GS win additional funds by posting a picture of your pet with some Columbia blue! In your post, call out the School of General Studies and use the hashtag #ColumbiaGivingDay

Did you know GS leads the Ivy League in enrolling first-generation and low-income students? Your support today on #ColumbiaGivingDay, no matter the amount, helps create more equitable, inclusive communities. Please join us in supporting nontraditional students: http://bit.ly/GSFacebook2020

Columbia Law School is hosting a virtual Information Session for the Leadership Experience Admission Deferral (LEAD) Fellowship Program as a path for admissions to the Law School on Wednesday, October 28 at 1pm EDT. Event details and to register: https://bit.ly/34xS95n Learn more about the LEAD Program: https://bit.ly/2HIai7I

Trying to master our folding skills before Giving Day tomorrow. Are you down with the Origami Low Down Challenge? Post a picture of your completed Low Library origami and tag #ColumbiaGivingDay on 10/28! DownLOW'd the template: https://bit.ly/32d8F6Y

Tomorrow is #ColumbiaGivingDay! We're proud to enroll veterans, athletes, entrepreneurs, first-generation college students, formerly incarcerated students, models, parents, performing artists, professional dancers, refugees, and individuals with many other varied stories and backgrounds as the *only* Ivy League university with a freestanding college in which nontraditional students are fully integrated into the undergraduate curriculum, bringing diversity, maturity, and rich life experiences to the classroom. Join us in supporting GS students: http://bit.ly/GSFacebook2020

I myself was a nontraditional student. I began college at UNC Greensboro studying voice and music, but I liked making friends more than I did going to class! After a few years away from school, I moved to NYC and enrolled at Fashion Institute of Technology to study Marketing and Advertising. In my mid-20's I was finally eager to learn. I excelled academically and earned my BS by taking classes at night and working full-time during the day. In my wildest dreams, I didn't ever... think I'd work or belong in the Ivy League, but the truth is, I've always been made to feel welcomed here. I am humbled to have a place within Columbia as part of the GS team. As the Director of Alumni Relations for GS, Aviva Zablocki works on a variety of projects and events that help connect GS alumni to each other, as well as to current students. I'm focused on building a strong community where our members feel supported and engaged with each other and with our school. I identify alumni to speak at student events like Orientation and Class Day, and also at smaller programs, providing students with direct access to alumni for guidance and supportive networking opportunities. Aside from helping our students and alumni remain connected to one another, one of the most important things I do is help raise the visibility of GS across Columbia. By identifying alumni leaders to participate in Columbia events, volunteer on different Boards, and with our undergraduate students, I am working to make sure that our GS community shines for all at the university to see! In her 2.5 years at GS, Aviva is continually inspired by the alumni and students she’s met and worked with. I am constantly blown away by GS students. Not only by what they have achieved, or what they are setting out to achieve, but also by what they have often overcome. GS students have taught me that each person's personal journey is unique to them, and that journey contributes immeasurably to the Columbia community as a whole. Interested in connecting with Aviva and learning how you can get involved with the #GSalumni team? Find out more: https://bit.ly/3dLTWXw