My Next Four Years Adekunle Balogun

Rolling a suitcase through the Morning Heights gates with a backpack slung over my shoulder, the view ahead of me is bright. Through College Walk, undergraduate students pace past me to catch the subway on 116th St. The breeze from their stride, reveals not haste, but eagerness to see what a new city internship has to offer. As I look to my left, I see students, sprawled across the steps of Low Library in passionate conversation. I overhear their plans to engineer solutions for Columbia design contests -- plans to save the world. Climbing the steps towards Alma Mater, I stare into the face of wisdom. For the next four years, I will be engaged and motivated by a group of people as passionate for change in the world as I am. This is my vision.

While Columbia challenges its student body to exercise its education, it feeds a community where the students compel each other to relentlessly pursue answers to global questions. As students do research in the medical center or work for social progress through clubs, they represent the university’s innovative culture. The ethos of Columbia is that of a school where students never concede defeat, taking initiative to engage any opportunity that crosses their path. Students and faculty alike...