Each year, Columbia University School of Professional Studies (SPS) shines a spotlight on some of its most accomplished master’s candidates, naming one exceptional student from each program to serve as a student marshal at graduation. Handpicked by program leadership for their outstanding academic achievements and significant personal contributions, these marshals proudly lead their graduating peers and carry their program’s banner during the commencement ceremony.
“The selection of our student marshals is always a graduation season highlight,” says Associate Director of Student Life Melissa Mayard Wilson. “These students have not only excelled academically but have also profoundly enriched the Columbia and SPS community. Learning about their journeys and the meaningful impact they’ve had is incredibly rewarding.”
This year’s cohort of student marshals recently shared their insights into their academic paths, offered valuable guidance for incoming students, and reflected on the most impactful lessons they’ve gained during their time at SPS.
I'm so incredibly grateful for all of the people that supported myself and my peers during this process, from our professors to the program staff to the local barista who helped us make sure that we were properly caffeinated for class. I'm so excited to be able to celebrate all of the hard work that we put into this experience—all of the pain, all of the pleasure that we experienced over this time—and to say that we accomplished this major milestone at an exceptional university together.”
I enjoyed the professors the most. They always made themselves very available inside and outside the classroom. I think a lot of them offered more than just academic help—they were there to help me plan my career and also open up new pathways. Learning about their experiences, how they got to where they are today, really inspired me to push myself out of my comfort zone and try new things.”
That's the cool thing about SPS, the program, and the city itself: There are so many opportunities, and the opportunities will come back to you if you put in the hard work. It’s worth the risk factor if you’re trying something new. It will come back, and people will see your effort. I think that’s the biggest thing: A chance can be around every corner. Who knows?”
I think I came as someone who wasn't sure what I was going to do and had no idea what to expect for the future. Now I have so many opportunities ahead of me, and the program gave me the resources to do it. Just having the network and knowledge has empowered me to go all out.”
I think there's always something you can pick up from every interaction you have. Because there are so many different people within the program, there are so many different interactions to be had and so many different perspectives to take in. Just being in New York, you have access to a level of diversity that really isn't available anywhere else.”
Having the time to focus on just studying the concepts with other people who are at the same level was really helpful because it felt like we were going through it together. I think what we’re really celebrating is the conclusion of this chapter of our lives, this investment that we’ve made that’s going to pay dividends down the line. And now we put in the extra work that will help us accelerate our career path going forward.”
My hope is that this program allows me to become a more thoughtful contributor to the nonprofit sector. Now that I understand what it’s like to be in the nonprofit leader’s shoes, how to effectively run a governance board, and how the interconnectedness of nonprofits and government organizations affect everyone’s daily life, I’m able to apply that knowledge and be a more compassionate and effective leader.”
I think it’s really special to be able to do actual field work with world-renowned scientists who are professors and see them in their natural habitat and see them exercise their expertise outside of the classroom. It's really easy to take for granted the fact that I am learning from some of the most renowned people in my field and also studying amongst the future most renowned people in my field.”
What drew me to the Insurance Management master’s is that it was a holistic view of the industry. [Thanks to the] wonderful swath of topics that we were able to cover, it really felt like we were on the cutting edge of what is still considered to be a fairly conservative traditional industry. I’m now in a completely different area of the insurance industry, and I have to say doing the master’s was incredibly valuable.”
I think SPS, New York, and Columbia are just a perfect triangle. It’s the perfect formula for me as a storyteller, a person who has passion in communications and marketing. This is a city that’s full of great communities and inspiring people. And SPS is a great place for people with diverse backgrounds to come together and to learn together and grow together.”
At Columbia, I’ve developed a whole new set of skills when it comes to not just resolving conflict, but helping people get to a better place. Having opportunities to travel both locally here in New York as well as to South America to understand conflict and peacebuilding really enriched my experience and solidified everything that I learned in the classroom.”
I think the beauty of the program is that it brings together students from varied experiences. You’re working with people from different countries and very different backgrounds. So it gave me a global view of what’s happening around the world.”
Coming from an electronics background, learning the power of data and modeling to come up with strategic and transformative decisions to apply in the real world was completely new for me. It was a good journey, and the professors really made sure that every single student, no matter what background they came from, understood the power of how to model data to lead to strategic decisions.”
For me, earning my second master’s degree and stepping into a brand new industry, my biggest goal is to set an example for my daughter that anything is possible through hard work. It’s never too late. And for my classmates, all the hard work is paying off, so congratulations. This is Columbia. It’s a big deal. And everyone put in the work. We all deserve to be here today at graduation.”
When I joined this program, I was not expecting to get such a holistic experience. If I could describe my experience in this program in one word, it would be ‘transformative.’ Prior to starting at SPS, I was not quite directionless, but I really didn’t know what I wanted to do professionally. And this program was an incredible learning experience that taught me this is exactly what I want to do.”
The advice that I would give to incoming students or new students in the program is: Lean on each other. I find that this field is not one that encourages competition, but rather collaboration. And I’d say it’s applicable to the rest of the programs here at the School of Professional Studies. Because who are we as scholars if we don't bounce ideas off of each other to lead to a better future––for not only our fields, but each other?”
There was so much that I learned, not even from course material, but just being in the courses and listening to other students in the courses speak about their experiences and things that they know. It was kind of this value-add to what we were learning in each of our courses and what the professors brought to each course.”
What I value most about Narrative Medicine is its deeply collaborative and interdisciplinary spirit. I’ve especially appreciated the opportunity to exchange perspectives with my peers and engage meaningfully with the Harlem community. This program attracts compassionate changemakers, and it’s been an honor to grow in empathy and intellect alongside such remarkable faculty and fellow scholars."
Views and opinions expressed here are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Columbia School of Professional Studies or Columbia University.
