Stephanie Gergoudis

The valedictorian and salutatorian of the Columbia College class of 2015 were announced this week. While the valedictorian, Robert Lin, was unavailable for comment, we caught up with Salutatorian Stephanie Gergoudis about her new title.

Bwog: How did you find out you were salutatorian, and how did you celebrate?

SG: I got an e-mail from Deantini. When I first read the subject line (Congratulations Class of 2015 Salutatorian), I thought that CC was announcing the salutatorian to the entire class… When I realized the e-mail was specifically addressed to me, I literally yelped. My flatmate ran into my room thinking something bad had happened! I was so surprised that I had to lie down so that I wouldn’t faint. My family lives in Queens, so my mom was able to meet me for a celebratory dinner at Le Monde that night.

Bwog: Do you feel different since the announcement? Did anyone treat you differently?

SG: I don’t feel any different as a person, just a bit nervous about speaking in front of so many people at graduation. Everyone has been extremely kind and warm in congratulating me. The attention is a bit overwhelming, as I’m generally a pretty shy person.

Bwog: Did you find Alma Mater’s owl?

SG: I never looked, partly because I’m not superstitious and partly because I thought being valedictorian or salutatorian was an impossibility.

Bwog: What’s your trick to studying? Do you pull all-nighters very often?

SG: I like to record lectures whenever possible. That way I can pause the lecture whenever I want and make sure I understand everything the professor has said. It takes a while to get through even one lecture, but it’s worth it. I pulled all-nighters quite often in freshman year, but I’ve definitely improved my time management skills since then.

Bwog: Library room of choice?

SG: I actually prefer to study in my dorm room – I find even the quiet thrum of the library distracting.

Bwog: What were your favorite and least favorite classes at Columbia?

SG: That’s a tough one! My favorite science classes have been Biochemistry and Immunology. I loved learning the minute details of how living beings/systems work and thinking about how these systems can be manipulated. My favorite non-science classes have been Buddhism and Japanese. As for my least favorite class, I guess I wasn’t a fan of ArtHum.

Bwog: General plans for post-grad?

SG: I’m not exactly sure what I’ll be doing yet, but I do know I’d like to further explore my interests in medicine, research, and teaching.