Columbia University in the City of New York
Sunday, May 17, 2026 • 11:00 A.M. • St. Paul’s Chapel
ACADEMIC PROCESSION
Religious Life Advisers
Student Speakers
Vice President, University Life
Executive Vice President, University Life and Wellbeing
Dean of the School of General Studies
Co-Interim Dean of the College, Barnard College
Dean of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science
Dean of Columbia College
University Provost
Dean of Religious Life
PRELUDE
Abigail Edwards School of General Studies, 2026
Student Organist
Organ Sonata No. 2: I. Lebhaft
PROCESSIONAL
Dina Foster-Osbourne Organist
Day of Delight and Beauty Unbounded, Festival Fanfare
OPENING WORDS
Rev. Dr. Ian Rottenberg Dean of Religious Life
Paul Hindemith
Arijit Singh Medley
Brenda Portman
INTRODUCTION TO THE BACCALAUREATE SPEAKERS
Religious Life Advisers
MUSICAL SELECTION
Varshini Parthasarathy and Roshni Parthasarathy
Columbia Sur
Thilina Balasooriya, Columbia College, 2026
Arithra Das, Barnard College, 2028
Rohan Jain, School of Professional Studies, 2026
Anwita Karanth, Columbia Law School, 2026
Riya Kishen, Barnard College, 2026
Priyanka Nanayakkara, Barnard College, 2026
Sankrith Ramani, Columbia College, 2027
Aishwarya Rao, Barnard College, 2026
Deven Seth, School of Engineering and Applied Science, 2028
Tanisha Srivatsa, Barnard College, 2026
REFLECTIONS
Lucy Hecht
Columbia College, 2026
Jewish
“Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you.” So early next morning, Abraham saddled his donkey and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for the burnt offering, and he set out for the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place from afar.
Genesis 22:2–4 Jewish Publication Society
Medha Ninad Tambe
Columbia College, 2026
Hindu
Then, higher than this heaven, above the world, higher than everything, in the highest world, higher than which nothing exists—the light that shines there is the same light that is in a human being.
Chandogya Upanishad (3.13.7)
MUSICAL SELECTION
Heavy/Mizmor LeDavid Birdtalker
Psalm 23
Arranged by Raphi Simonson, Columbia College, 2023
Pizmon
Rochelle Berman, Barnard College/Jewish Theological Seminary, 2027
Anna Birman, School of General Studies/Jewish Theological Seminary, 2027
Dore Fish-Bieler, School of General Studies/Jewish Theological Seminary, 2026
Gabriel Freedman-Naditch, School of General Studies/Tel Aviv University, 2026
Alix Gilkarov, School of General Studies/Jewish Theological Seminary, 2026
Aviva Goldberg, School of General Studies/Jewish Theological Seminary, 2029
Lily Lebwohl, Barnard College, 2028
Hannah Levinson, Barnard College, 2028
Mischa Parsons, School of Engineering and Applied Science, 2029
Maytal Polonetsky, Barnard College, 2027
Gavin Rubin, School of General Studies/Tel Aviv University, 2027
Zack Singerman, School of General Studies/Jewish Theological Seminary, 2027
Yaya Spitzer Tilchin, School of General Studies/Jewish Theological Seminary, 2027
Noa Wacholder, School of General Studies/Jewish Theological Seminary, 2028
REFLECTIONS
Bethany Duncan School of Engineering and Applied Science, 2026 Episcopalian
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance … a time to seek, and a time to lose.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 NIV
Karan Singh Saini Columbia College, 2026
Sikh
Har jan ki seva safal hai, jit seviai har naam dhiaaeeai, saadh sangat kai vaasai har ras paaeeai.
Service to the people of the Lord is fruitful. Through such service one remembers the Divine Name. In the company of the holy congregation one experiences divine joy.
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 266
MUSICAL SELECTION
Wer Gott vertraut, hat wohl gebaut, BWV 433 Johann Sebastian Bach
Columbia University Bach Society
Hiuyi Cheng, Barnard College, 2028
Phil Ionkov, Columbia College, 2026
Won Jong, Columbia College, 2026
Lily Lebwohl, Barnard College, 2028
Daksha Pillai, Columbia College, 2027
Emily Qiu, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, 2027
Sonali Rao, Columbia College, 2028
Yiming Song, Columbia College, 2026
Sam Wilder, School of Engineering and Applied Science, 2026
Keoni Wun, School of Engineering and Applied Science, 2029
Akshat Yaparla, School of Engineering and Applied Science, 2025
REFLECTIONS
Sai Ramani Choudari Barnard College, 2026
Hindu
That is action, which does not encourage attachment; That is knowledge which liberates one. All other action is pointless hardship, and all other knowledge is simply worldly skill.
Vishnu Purana (1.19.41)
Devin Leslie
School of General Studies/Jewish Theological Seminary, 2026
Jewish
It is not in the heavens.
“The Oven of Akhnai,” Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 59a-b
MUSICAL SELECTION
Total Praise Richard Smallwood
Arranged by Josh Black, Columbia College, 2025
Gospel Choir
Teniola Adedire, Columbia College, 2028
Joseph Akinyoyenu, Columbia College, 2028
Hannah Carter, Columbia College, 2026
Sarah Forde, Columbia College, 2028
Aisha Frampton-Clerk, School of General Studies, 2027
Hiker Gouvernuer, Columbia College, 2029
Anjalee Hardy, Columbia College, 2027
Natasha Kalombo, Columbia College, 2029
Sara Lee, Columbia Law School, 2026
Otto Montgomery, Columbia College, 2028
Melnick Nebart, Columbia College, 2027
Zoe Powell-McCroey, Columbia College, 2028
Nadege Sainsurin, Columbia College, 2027
Emerald Tellez, Columbia College, 2029
Robert Wang, Columbia College, 2029
Etana Williams, Columbia College, 2027
Therese Zinga, School of Engineering and Applied Science, 2027
REFLECTIONS
Ismail Ennibi
Columbia College, 2026 Muslim
Mā ʿindakum yanfadu wamā ʿinda l-lahi bāqin walanajziyanna alladhīna ṣabarū ajrahum bi-aḥsani mā kānū yaʿmalūn
Whatever you have is ephemeral but what God has is enduring: and We shall reward those who practice patience for the best of their deeds.
Qur’an 16:96
Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū iṣ’birū waṣābirū warābiṭū wa-ttaqū l-laha laʿallakum tuf’liḥūn
You who believe, be patient—compete in patience, be constant; and be mindful of God, that you might flourish.
Qur’an 3:200
Madeline Rose Wiseman
Columbia College, 2026 Catholic
Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilleus and its devastation, which put pains thousandfold upon the Achaians…
The Iliad, Homer
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 5:13–14, NRSV
My Way
MUSICAL SELECTION
Paul Anka, Claude Francois, and Jacques Revaux
Arranged by Jonathan Nechemiah Cohen, Columbia College, 2016
Columbia Clefhangers
Anika Bhaskaran, Columbia College, 2028
Pritikaa Biswas, Columbia College, 2029
Anagha Chakravarti, Barnard College, 2029
Dori Dong, Barnard College, 2026
Zoe Haynes, Columbia College, 2029
Madeleine Li, Columbia College, 2027
Alif Masron, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, 2026
Jason Shim, Columbia College, 2029
Ada Shin, Columbia College, 2029
Emory Sun, Columbia College, 2026
from Symphony No. 5
CLOSING WORDS
Rev. Dr. Ian Rottenberg
RECESSIONAL
Charles-Marie Widor
BACCALAUREATE PIN
The design of the 2026 Baccalaureate pin is inspired by the Guastavino tiles of St. Paul’s Chapel and the mosaic formed by our diverse religious communities at Columbia. These communities embody the mission engraved above the door of Earl Hall, “That religion and learning may go hand in hand, and character grow with knowledge.” All graduates who attend the service receive this special commemorative pin.
BACCALAUREATE
The Baccalaureate Service is believed to have originated in a statute of 1432 at Oxford University requiring each bachelor to deliver a sermon in Latin as part of his academic exercise. Since the earliest universities in this country were founded primarily to educate ministers, the British practice of a Baccalaureate Service was continued.
The tradition of the Baccalaureate Service at Columbia University began after the move to the Morningside Heights campus in 1897. The Baccalaureate Service is a multifaith celebration of undergraduate commencement.
This service is prepared and coordinated by the Office of Religious Life and University Ceremonies.