FLI Graduation celebrates students who will be in the first generation of their family to graduate from college or who come from lower-income backgrounds. This event recognizes the incredible achievements and impact of first-generation and/or lower-income students within the Columbia/Barnard community.
Meaning of the FLI Torch
Each year, honorees are bestowed an item with the FLI Torch. This torch is an emblem of enlightenment. It is a symbol of the knowledge and capital acquired in navigating the complexity of Columbia and surviving college life; the understanding and greater appreciation of who you are, of your family and of where you come from; and the realization of the power of your voice and experience.
The FLI Torch also is a symbol of hope: Hope that comes from the possibilities unfolding before you with the diploma in your hand. Hope for the opportunities your families know you rightfully deserve. Hope for the next wave of students who will also be the first in their families. You are an inspiration and light for others.
And, like the many identities you hold, the FLI Torch is complex and multifaceted and can only fully function in understanding the connections among its constituent parts.
The flame is your unceasing internal fire: the motivation that pushed you past moments of uncertainty, the drive to prove wrong those who doubted you and the passion to realize something greater in yourself.
This flame, however, cannot be held, cannot be contained, cannot be raised without its base – its foundation. Family, friends, mentors and significant figures have grounded you. They are the ones who believed in you when you did not believe in yourself, who healed you when you felt broken by this institution and who gave you the values, sense of self and strength to uplift you to this moment. The FLI Torch then is not just for what you achieved, but also in honor of them.
FLI Graduation Speakers
Nicole Leon Elvir CC’20Senior Speaker Jeremy Constancio CC’10Research Grants and Contracts Manager, Housing Policy, |
Tribute to the FLI Graduation Class of 2020
Tribute to Those Who Got Us Here
Getting Involved with the Columbia First-generation Alumni Network
Welcome to the Columbia First-Generation/Low-Income Alumni Network! Stay up to date on upcoming events and opportunities to connect with fellow members of the Columbia community:
- Join our listserv through the CFLAN website.
- Connect with us on LinkedIn.
- Follow us on Facebook.
We also invite you to reach out to us directly at CFLAN@alumniclubs.columbia.edu. Congratulations!
FLI Graduation Graduates
| Hannah Adeoye CC'20 | Daria Forde BC'20 | Priscilla Maccario BC'20 | Kania Rimu BC'20 |
| Ishrat Aishee BC'20 | Samantha Furlong CC'20 | Jarosław Macnar CC'20 | Paola Ripoll CC'20 |
| Can Akdere SEAS'20 | Zehui Gao SEAS'20 | Shazmin Mahmud CC'20 | Alexa Roman CC'20 |
| Brianna Alico CC'20 | Stephanie Garcia Sosa BC'20 | Jason Mares CC'20 | Marcella Rozenwasser BC'20 |
| Mika Aly CC'20 | Cayo Gonzalez CC'20 | Jessica Mei CC'20 | Nathaly Sanguino BC'20 |
| Keziah Anderson CC'20 | Alexander Gonzalez Torres CC'20 | Kevin Mejia Mejia SEAS'20 | Nathan Santos CC'20 |
| Anika Anna CC'20 | Tameka Gosine CC'20 | Jose Mendoza CC'20 | Xochitl Say BC'20 |
| Simon Anuszczyk CC'20 | Patricia Granda-Malaver CC'20 | Darinelle Merced-Calderon CC'20 | Janine Sempel BC'20 |
| John Arciniegas CC'20 | Daileny Guerrero BC'20 | Juan Mojica SEAS'20 | Olympia Serban BC'20 |
| Sulema Arellano BC'20 | Nehemie Guillomaitre SEAS'20 | Darwin Molina CC'20 | Sofia Smith CC'20 |
| Sheen Atwa GS'20 | Abigail Gutierrez BC'20 | Alissa Mori BC'20 | Irem Soysal CC'20 |
| Nélida Ayacaxli GS'20 | Laura Hand CC'20 | Lithurshanaa Muraleetharan SEAS'20 | Lacey Strahm CC'20 |
| Edith Baez CC'20 | J Haro SEAS'20 | Salma Nakhlawi BC'20 | Tasfia Tabassum CC'20 |
| Alpha Barry CC'20 | Lily He SEAS'20 | Richie Ngo SEAS'20 | Siyu Tao CC'20 |
| Laura Block CC'20 | Priscila Hernandez CC'20 | Erica Nieves GS'20 | Patrick Tapé CC'20 |
| Nannette Boakye CC'20 | Cesar Herrera CC'20 | Tabara Nosiba BC'20 | Judith Teboul CC'20 |
| Katherine Calderon BC'20 | Flor Hodge CC'20 | Bryan Ontiveros SEAS'20 | Maymouna Thiam BC'20 |
| Cesay Camara BC'20 | Samaha Hossain BC'20 | Andrea Ortega CC'20 | Ufonobong Umanah CC'20 |
| Jay Castro CC'20 | Zifang Huanng GS'20 | Katherine Ortiz BC'20 | David Valdes SEAS'20 |
| Yankang Bennie Chen CC'20 | Mohammad Ibrahim CC'20 | Leslie Ortiz BC'20 | Erika Valdez BC'20 |
| Vanessa Marie Chirino Jaenz BC'20 | Greg Inchaustegui GS'20 | Ashley Pabon CC'20 | Xitlalli Vazquez BC'20 |
| Nahian Chowdhury BC'20 | Jenilee Jaquez BC'20 | Maleni Palacios Delgado BC'20 | Gleb Vizitiv SEAS'20 |
| Lin Feng Collins BC'20 | Juan Diego Jaramillo CC'20 | Deborah Pantaleon CC'20 | Jason Wang CC'20 |
| Jessica Cruz BC'20 | Fernando Jimenez Huerta SEAS'20 | Qiyue Peng SEAS'20 | Cicily Werito CC'20 |
| Christian Cruz CC'20 | Aaliyah DejaMone’ Johnson BC'20 | Leslie Perez BC'20 | Armani Wilson CC'20 |
| Christian Cruz Godoy SEAS'20 | Shaundin Jones CC'20 | Nha-Uyen Pham CC'20 | Lauren Winters CC'20 |
| Lynn Dao BC'20 | Chabely Jorge CC'20 | Gabriella Phillip BC'20 | James Wu SEAS'20 |
| Teresa Deely CC'20 | Brandon Juvani GS'20 | Tommy Polanco SEAS'20 | Mojde Yadollahikhales SEAS'20 |
| Mia DeLuis Zayas CC'20 | Sean Kelso CC'20 | Karla Puga GS'20 | Tamara Yakubova BC'20 |
| Christy Dey BC'20 | Abigail Kempf BC'20 | Sukanya Pusey BC'20 | Brian Yang SEAS'20 |
| Daniel Driscoll CC'20 | Marwa Khairy CC'20 | Aziza Rahman BC'20 | Tamanna Yeasmin BC'20 |
| Daniela Duron Garcia SEAS'20 | Kriti Kumar CC'20 | Haifa Rahman BC'20 | Shyanne Yellowbird CC'20 |
| Morgan Edmonds CC'20 | Magdalen Kwarteng BC'20 | Lamia Rahman CC'20 | Zawareen Zakaria BC'20 |
| Hagir Elzin BC'20 | Isabella Lajara CC'20 | Lyndsey Reed BC'20 | Cesar Zamudio CC'20 |
| Hussein Fardous SEAS'20 | Ana Leon BC'20 | Marissa Reyes BC'20 | |
| Amira Farid BC'20 | Nicole Leon Elvir CC'20 | Myrna Reyes Santos CC'20 | |
| Armani Ferdaous BC'20 | Mary Liu GS'20 | Maggie Richardson CC'20 |