Roar Lions!

Today, Wednesday, October 26th, is the day! Join with Columbia alumni across the world in supporting the Pride Scholarship for Columbia Giving Day. You and I both know the tremendous power that is a Columbia education; our ability to support and nurture LGBTQ+ student leaders with financial aid assistance allows them to create a thriving community on campus and succeed as alumni leaders.

We continue to watch the exciting growth of the Columbia College Pride Scholarship for LGBTQ+ student leaders at Columbia College. This immediate support provides critical financial aid for CC students, and we more than doubled our impact last year in the scholarship’s second year.  In this same year, within a year of its inception, we named this scholarship's first recipient--a Sustainable Development major from Mississippi.  This year, all gifts to the scholarship will be doubled up to $15,000 by two generous alumni donors.

Over the past year, ways to support LGBTQ+ Columbians have continued to grow. In addition to the Columbia College Pride Scholarship, the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons established the David Roye, MD, Pride Visiting Medical Student Scholarship which supports a LGBTQ+ student leader who is a rising fourth-year medical student who, prior to completing medical school, will spend a month under the guidance of the faculty in Columbia Orthopedics. This exciting growth allows LGBTQ+ Columbians to further show the strength of our community.

Lastly, we would like to highlight the Columbia Alumni Association Scholarship. The CAA Scholarship provides financial assistance and mentorship to recipients across Columbia schools. The scholarship will cultivate and nurture curious and engaged students into University citizens that remain connected to Columbia. This is a unique opportunity to help students at every school with one gift. The larger the endowment, the larger the awards available to each school and the more students are closer to their dreams with less debt.

With numerous schools and programs, please donate what you can to the ones that resonate with you.  No amount is too small. HERE is a comprehensive list of all the funds that one can support across the University.

Please join me in making a gift today in support of these initiatives. Thank you so much for your generosity.

In pride and community,

Carlos V. Cruz ’88CC

Columbia Pride President