Our next wise senior wants you to be risky and take a nap on the lawn.

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Josue Lecodet-Cabasquini, History & Sustainable Development, New Haven, CT

Claim to fame: Running a Model UN conference (CMUNCE) with 750 high school students while navigating Columbia’s bureaucracy, former treasurer of the CUMB, wrote an op-ed

Where are you going? Traveling across another continent, then spending time with my family before “selling out” and moving to Philadelphia

What are 3 things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2023?

1. This sounds ridiculous but read your emails! I know it can be tedious but there are so many resources, opportunities, and events on campus that you can easily miss if you don’t read them and I’ve seen this happen so many times :(
2. Asking for help is not a weakness. I wish I’d realized this sooner. Take the time to talk to your professors at office hours, you’ll learn so much.
3. You can’t do everything. Find one or two things that you love with people that you enjoy spending time with and focus on that! Everything will work out in the end. Do what brings you joy.

“Back in my day…” Amigos existed (RIP), JJs wasn’t 24 hours, John JJs was a thing

Favorite Columbia controversy? The toilet paper quality debate of freshman year

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: ♪ I was born this way ♪

What was your favorite class at Columbia? I can’t pick just one! My favorites were Cities in Developing Countries with Sevin Yildiz, History of the Environment and Health in South Asia with Kavita Sivaramakrishnan, Making of the Modern American Landscape with Elizabeth Blackmar, and Colonial Cities of the Americas with Caterina Pizzigoni and Gergely Baics.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? A life without cheese is not the life for me

Whom would you like to thank? My mom and the rest of my family. Lady Gaga. My friends who’ve supported all my questionable decisions. Everyone who listened to me talk about my thesis. Admissions for believing in me. CPS for putting me back together.

One thing to do before graduating: Take a risk and try something new. Take a nap on the lawns, it’s amazing!

Any regrets? My biggest regret is not studying abroad. Don’t be me and do it! Other regrets include not getting enough sleep, overcommitting myself, and picking a room that doesn’t get much sunlight.