Class Day

May 16, 2011

Welcome friends and family!

Thank you for joining us to

celebrate our talented,
accomplished and
distinguished graduates!
 Welcome
Class of 1951
  
To the people of Libya:
My thoughts and prayers are with you.

May you achieve your aspirations of

freedom and democracy.  
Lailah ila Allah wa al-Shaheed Habib
Allah
Aba ve Ima Ha yekarim!!!  
Thank you for being with me … I could
not have done it without  your
emotional support, your ozen kashevet
and your friendship.  
We can both be proud – I got a degree,
but you learned how to use Skype!! I
love you!!

Bar Riese
It has been a long time coming. It is a
journey that began 10 years ago.
Today, as I reflect upon the hardships
that I have overcome, I realize that I
will forever be grateful:

To Allah for giving me the strength

and the courage to keep going …  
 

Alpha Ousmane Bah

To my family my mother Aissatou
Diallo, and my father Alpha Ibrahima
Bah for making the person who I am
today. I hope I have made you proud

To two special people that I consider

my brothers: Mohamed Kaba
and Mamadou Lamarana Diallo for
keeping me in check when I was about
to drift away, for supporting me
morally through this struggle …
To my adviser Dean Mendoza for
listening and guiding me through this
process;

To my fellow GS students for time and

time again proving that no matter the
walks of life, the challenges of the past,
present and future, anything is possible
for wherever there is life, there will be
hope!

Alpha Ousmane Bah

 Welcome
Class of 1956
I would like to thank my family and friends
for all their help while I worked towards this
day.  Most of all, I want to thank Jide Kassim,
who helped me through each stage, who
proofread my application essay, who read all
my papers for my classes, who helped me
apply to law school, and who wiped away all
my tears when I didn't think I would make it
and encouraged me to continue.  Thank you,
my  love, for helping me to achieve my
moment!

Marquita Denise Acron

Dear Butler:

We will miss
you terribly!

Love,

Kristiina
&
Katrin
Dear Columbia,  
Thank you for all the wonderful things you
have taught us: -how to live without sleep
-how to live without food - how to camp
out in a library -how to smuggle food into a
library -and lastly, how to reduce our social
life to ... social life, what was that again?
Still, we love you :)  

Yours,
  Kristiina Wells and Katrin
"One way flight on Virgin America from
SFO to JFK — $129
Semi-furnished studio apartment near
campus — $2,250 per month
Tuition at Columbia University —
$43,304 per year
Returning back to school after 10 years
and graduating from college —
absolutely PRICELESS!”

Taj
This one is for you Bibi Ji (Grandma)!
I know you are watching from above.
 I could have never done this without
the love and support of my family,
friends, and fellow graduates."
Brrruuuuuaaaaaaahhhhh!
(Cheers in Punjabi)

Taj Chahal
Thank you to my mother Ann
Geagan for all your love and
support.
 
Joseph Geagan
 Welcome
Class of 1961
To my mother, Benedicta;
brothers, Akinbo, Segun and
Gbolahan, my grandmother,
Gladys, aunties and friends:

I share my success of graduation

with you because you, in many
ways, made this day possible.
 
gBadebo Williams
Eddie and Alexis,
Thanks for your endless love  and
support throughout this major
endeavor! I would like to thank both
the Williams and families for their
encouragement and faith in my ability.
It's never too late to be what you might
have been! WINNING!!!!!

 Lori Williams-Sanford
  
Welcome to the
Gustavson Family &
Friends

Jason Gustavson
Dear Mom, David, Amanda, and
Andrew:  
Thank you for supporting my
endeavors and being here for me on
this day. It means so much to me to
have you at my graduation. Each one
of you has helped me get here in a
special way and I am grateful for you.  

Aryana C. Fargo
To My Incredible Parents, Pat and
Michael, and My Amazing
Husband, Peter:
I would not be here today without
your constant love and support.
With so much love and gratitude, I
thank you.  
Love always,
Julia Murphy
 Welcome
Class of 1966
To my friends:
You are the most valuable
things that I've got at
Columbia! We made it!!!
Congrats and love you all
always... 
HyeRan Hong
You are the best Dad and Mom
ever...Thanks for everything you
have done for me!

I love you more than I can say.

HyeRan Hong
Un grand merci à  ma famille et mes amis
pour leur soutien, leur patience et tellement
plus pendant ces 3 derniéres années. Je vous
aime et n'oublierai jamais que je n'aurais
jamais pu faire ça sans vous...  
Special thanks to Adam, Jen, Arden,
Addisen, Aidan and Tyler! I started this
adventure with you and would never be
standing here without you. I love you and
I'm so grateful to have you in my life!
 
Delphia Polle
Thank you my love! Our journey
goes on...
 
Nemanja Mladenovic
 Welcome
Class of 1971
Ralph –
We could not be more proud.
 

With much love, Mom, Dad,

Phil, Ralph & Laura
 
Mom, Dad, Nick, Kelsy & Greg:  
Thank you for your support both
throughout my life and during my
time at Columbia.
I could not have graduated from
Columbia without you!  Love you
all very much!
 

 Lauren Di Giovanni
Thank you JORDAN, MOM,
DAD, POPPY, GRANDMA,
GRANDPA, JENNIE and
ANDY for coming!!!

Love,  
 Daniel Epstien
To my mother, Sharon A. Winter-Schorr:
Without you, none of my accomplishments
would mean anything at all. Your work and life
have been inspiration to me, and being loved by
you has inspired me to do things I did not think
were possible. You were the first person to have
complete faith in me, and that faith will always
sustain me. The past four years have been
intense, and I could not have survived a day at
Columbia without your care and support…

 Tiara Winter-Schorr
Aside from being my mom, you also my
best friend….I can't begin to imagine
how devoid of love and fun and magic
my life would have been without you.
Most of all, thank you giving me faith in
God and in myself, and thank you for
teaching me to love hard work and
education. Your love is incomparable ...
 
To Dr. Jill Shapiro: I could not have
asked for more as a professor or a
friend. Your excellence as a teacher is
unsurpassed. I admire your dedication
to your work and your love for your
students .... That dedication and love
spurred me to work harder than I ever
have. You were instrumental in making
me feel that Columbia is a challenging
but endlessly supportive
environment….
You helped me grow as a student, and
over the years you have become a
cherished friend. I cannot overstate
your influence on me or how much
studying with you has meant to me.
Thank you for your faith in me. It has
helped me to have faith in myself.

 Tiara Winter-Schorr
All my gratitude, at every moment
to god: for the complexities of life,
access to the faith that unravels them
and the Sufi path.

To my atheist father, best friend and

gin gin: I love you. I live and survive
only because of you.

Lakshmi Gopal
 
To my acchaccha, kunji, my family and
the rest of my fellow ‘Samurai’:
everything I do, I do for you with your
values in my mind and your love in my
heart.
 
 
Lakshmi Gopal
To the greatest teachers and mentors any life
could ask for: thank you to Prof al- Musawi,
Prof. Roma and Prof. Potti for guiding me
along the path to greater understanding. I
hope one day I can make you proud.

To Dean Ulloa, Dean Scola, and Sean Trulby:

Thank you for making GS what it is.

Lakshmi Gopal
 
 
 Welcome
Class of 1976
Congratulations, Samantha
Jackson! 

You did it, Girl!

Caribbean Students
Association
There are no words to truly express
the depth of my gratitude for my
family and friends who have
supported me in so many ways
throughout this incredibly difficult
and rewarding journey. Special
thanks to my mother, Nancy Feller.

Samantha Labrie
Thank you so much for all the
support, Dad!
I couldn't have done this
without you. I love you!
Love, Clare Bear
 
 Clare Foord
Valerie, thanks for always listening to me,
encouraging me when I hit a wall and
reaching deep into your pockets.
Brenda thanks for your golden signature on
my loan applications. You're the best big
sister EVER!
Babs and James thanks for your never-
ending support and encouragement
regardless of what direction I turn.
You are the best.

Daryl Irene Lee

Today I give thanks to my
husband, Beny, for providing
me the opportunity of an
undergraduate education.

Thank you for your love

and support.

Cristina Matesanz
Thank you Mom, Dad,
Kristina, Dean Karahalios, and
everyone else for all your
support!

Rodney B. Russell II
Mum, Dad, Jen and Peter:
I couldn't have done it
without you.  

Sarah Jane Lockwood

 Mi haya ma'amin?? Mom, aba, Ayala,
Grandma and Grandpa, Karen, Aura, Fred,
and to all my other relatives out there.

Thank you! Thank you for your

unconditional love and endless support.

I could not have done it without you (I mean

it). Thanks for celebrating with me today.  
 
 Yoav Oren
Mami y Papi, Gracias por siempre estar ahi
cuando los necesito. Gracias por bancarme
cuando estoy nerviosa, de mal humor, o con
poco sueno. Fueron cuatro anos dificiles,
pero sin la ayuda y apoyo de ustedes no
podria estar graduandome hoy.

Los quiero mucho, Tami Elielu - gracias por

venir y estar conmigo en este dia tan
important de mi vida! Te quiero mucho!

Tamara Epelbaum
 Welcome
Class of 1981
Alice and Lorenzo,

Grateful for your loving sacrifice

and unyielding commitment.  

Your Son,

Joseph Sista
 Peter IV, Bridget, and Brendan,
 
Thank you for understanding when
Daddy couldn't be home to give you
snuggles because of late classes. I
hope you understand I would have
rather been home with you guys!  I
love you all sooooo much!!!  Daddy
 
 Peter Bodnar III
Dad,
Words cannot express my thanks for all you
have done for me so that this day could
finally happen. Without you this would not
have been possible.
It has been a long hard struggle but WE DID
IT!!!  
Thank you for everything you have done for
all of us!  I love you!
 

 Peter Bodnar III

On OUR special day I want to thank you, Perry.
You are not only the love of my life but also my
best friend couldn't have done it without you.
 Thank you for hanging in there when I was
spending more time in Butler than with you.
Thank you going to museums and operas with
me only to spend hours discussing my papers
after we got home.  Thank you for being you!  
I wouldn't have been here today if it wasn't for
YOUR presence. I love you! …

Lior Hemi
I'd like to thank the BEST parents
in the world: Aviva and Itzhak.
It took me a while but I couldn't
have done it without your love,
support, and encouragement!
THANK YOU!
 

Lior Hemi
 Welcome
Class of 1986
 Welcome
Class of 1991
 Welcome
Class of 1996
Baby, we did it! 
Thank you for supporting both of
us during my journey at Columbia.
All my heart to you, John. 
Love, Hollie

Hollie Tincani
 Welcome
Class of 2001
To my parents, Barbara and Manfred
Weiner, for their love and support
and because I could not love you
more!!! 

To Farrah Khan and Nancy Davis, my

partners in crime and constant
companions who never fail me….

Bettina Weiner
To Prof. Jill Muller, Prof Margaret
Vandenburg, Prof. W.B. Worthen, Prof.
James Schamus, Prof. Katja Vogt, Prof.
James Eli Adams, Ralph Zito and Corbett
Bazler for their passion for teaching,
compassion for their students, and for
teaching me – in the words of Professor
Vandenburg -  "it's good, but now we'll
make it BETTER!!!" … 
 
To Scott Wallace Jr. for being my "rock."  To
Laura and Wade Watson, my friends and
neighbors who are always there for me!  To
Cassandra Seidenfeld- Lyster who inspires
me.  

To everyone at GS: Dean Awn, Skip Bailey,

Dean Mendoza, Prof. Rosner
THANK YOU.  

Bettina Weiner
Moore/Greene Family & my dearest friends:

Anything is possible with you by my side!

Thank you for sharing this incredible
journey with me and for your unwavering
support. You stood by me and helped me
fulfill a lifelong dream. I could not have
juggled family, school, and full-time work
without your dedication, words of
encouragement, and unconditional love...

Karen Moore Greene

A special thank you to my beautiful
children Brittany, Montgomery,
and Ava, who inspire me every day
to do and be better.
To my amazing husband, Walter,
who took on most of the burden
while I pursued academic
excellence. You earned this degree
too, my love! …  
To my sister Andrea, the Moore Family,
the Greene Family, and my core circle
of sister-friends, thank you endlessly for
your love, understanding, and patience
throughout my academic years.

You are the wind beneath my wings and

I love you with all my heart! …
Thank you to the School of General
Studies for affording me, a girl from
the South Bronx, an Ivy League
education.

You made my dreams attainable

and have opened doors for me and
my family.  I am eternally indebted!

Karen Moore Greene

 Welcome
Class of 2006
Congratulations Graduates!