Emily reminds us to feel all of the emotions.

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Emily Martin; Columbia College; Drama & Theatre Arts major (Stage & Production Management Thesis) and Education Studies minor; Olathe, Kansas

Claim to fame: Stage manager and cheerleader for The Varsity Show, only person who goes to football games, was rejected from Barnard – twice. 

Where are you going? In the immediate future, I’m heading back to Kansas City to be with my family, start my career, and enjoy living the dreams I’ve been working towards for so long. After that, who knows? There are so many more things I want to do. I’m just getting started. 

What are 3 things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2027?

1. Try new things, quit things, make and lose friends, but don’t stop getting involved until you’ve found a community of people who feel like family. Putting time and effort into building those lifelong friendships is so much more important that your homework ever will be. 
2. Michelle Obama was right when she said “They’re not that smart.” Don’t let imposter syndrome get in your way. You deserve to be here. 
3. It’s okay if your Columbia experience is full of mixed emotions. I’ve felt all the overwhelming joy, pride, and disbelief of being accepted to Columbia, walking on campus for the first time, finding a community that I love deeply, accomplishing things I never thought I could, and making my family proud. But I’ve also felt all of the loneliness, disappointment, resentment, and anger that came with facing impossible barriers, being underestimated and judged by others, missing my family, grieving friendships, and missing out on opportunities because of the pandemic. I think all of these emotions are a necessary part of this transformative time and have only made me reflect more deeply on what my college experience has taught me beyond the classroom.

“Back in my day…” We didn’t need to use the libraries to study. We took all of our exams on camera over Zoom, from our childhood bedrooms, with our younger siblings yelling and dogs barking in the background, and our parents interrupting because they forgot we were still going to college. 

Favorite Columbia controversy? “Consider off-peak hours” for dining. Honorable mention to “Bold. Beautiful. Baby-Killing?”

What was your favorite class at Columbia? Endangered Languages in the Global City. Everyone in that class is either an enthusiastic linguistics major or someone who knows nothing about linguistics, with no in-between. But it was cool. 10/10 field trip experience, would recommend. 

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? When I move home in a week, the first thing my long-distance significant other and I look forward to doing together is eating queso dip at our favorite Mexican food restaurant. Does that answer that question?

Whom would you like to thank? Grace/Grace/Maya/Eliza, Easton, Amalia & Abby, Alex, Casey, Tati, and so many other friends I love and cherish deeply, everyone I’ve ever had a frozen marg with at The Heights, The Heights $7 frozen margs and late nights on the rooftop, V128 family, V129 family, FLI Network, CCSC discounts for FLI students, Alma Mater statue, Wu & Nuss chai lattes, Koronet margherita slices, happy dogs of NYC, the two Public Safety guys that say hi to me when I get back to my building, Igor from Lerner, Nuts 4 Nuts pushcarts, Marshall’s on 78th and Broadway, M60 bus, the view from my Wien window, Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York. 

One thing to do before graduating: When it snows, run around campus taking as many photos and videos as you can. New York City snow is magical in a way nothing else is. Also, drunk text somebody that you want to be their best friend. 

Any regrets? Standing in line for an hour and a half for Tree Lighting merch and walking away with a plastic cup. It wasn’t worth it.

Portrait via Emily