Congratulations, Class of 2023!
Dear Students,
As we approach Commencement, we hope each of you will take a moment to reflect – celebrate your accomplishments and give yourself grace for the difficult moments you encountered.
To those of you participating in this week’s ceremonies, congratulations! Below, you will find some reminders and resources to help you navigate the big day.
University Commencement Events
The Columbia University Commencement ceremony of the 269th academic year, will take place on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 10:30 AM.
For a full list of Commencement events this week, visit the Commencement website.
Can’t make it in person or want to share the ceremony with loved ones who can’t attend? Check out the livestream on the Commencement website.
Commencement Resources
Ideas for Exploring New York City
Check out these ideas for enjoying New York City this week and throughout the summer months:
Stories from 2023 Graduates
Tenneh Sillah, ARTS’23, on Acting and Staying True to Yourself
“I am looking forward to figuring out who Tenneh is when she's not trying to get into grad school or be in grad school.”
Maya Castronovo, CC’23, on Storytelling and Trying New Things
“Everyone is very high-achieving here, so it can be a hard environment to try something new. But put yourself out there. Don't be afraid to look silly or fail.”
Hanyu Ye, CSSW’23, on Loneliness, Connection, and Embracing Our Differences
“As an international student, it can be lonely. At the very beginning, I was scared of loneliness… Now, I can say I enjoy the loneliness because it's given me time… to understand what I really want to do and what kind of person I really want to be.”
Jeremy Chiu, MSPH’23, on Photography and a Lifelong Columbia Dream
“It’s crazy how Columbia has had so much influence on my life growing up, even now. Eight-year-old me would be very proud of myself, knowing how far I’ve come.”
Shatize Pope, GS’23: Finding My Village at Columbia
"I, for a long time, was embarrassed about being a single parent until I realized that is actually my superpower." - Shatize Pope, GS‘23
Bingruo Xu, SPS’23, on Confidence and Being a Strong Woman
“Sometimes, you’re going to get annoyed thinking, Oh, why didn't I get a higher GPA? Or why didn't I get better job offers? Don’t waste too much time thinking that.”
For more student stories, visit our Student Voices webpage and Columbia News Commencement 2023 Stories.
