Shoutout to Milstein green chairs.

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Adara Allen, Barnard College, Chemistry and Dance double major, Juneau Alaska.

Claim to fame: Dancing a lot, doing organic chemistry research, choreographing for student theater (shoutout CUP and KCST!), going over the credit cap, and being the first person people have met from Alaska.

Where are you going? To dance and do research! I am planning to freelance and audition for dance companies while maintaining a research position. My plans aren’t totally set yet but I’m looking forward to chasing my two biggest passions.

What are three things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2030?

1. Try something you aren’t already good at!! Barnard and Columbia are full of amazing opportunities and it’s really important to step outside your comfort zone and try new things. It’s really easy to just keep doing the things you are already good at but it’s so important to try some new things and to remember that you don’t have to be good at something to try it. In my time here I took a year of Yiddish, taught myself to sew, and spent a year learning to tapdance (shoutout Columbia Untapped!). I had a wonderful time dancing purely for fun and not perfection when I added a style I’ve never tried before and you never know when you might excel at something. I taught myself to sew as a freshman and ended up designing and making costumes for five shows in my time here. There are so many incredibly talented people here and it is so fun to learn from them and try out new things.
2. You know yourself best! People will always have opinions and it is important that you stay true to yourself. I have gone over the credit cap more semesters than not including my freshman fall because I got the opportunity to dance with the Barnard Dance Department. A lot of people told me that I was crazy to do that and I spent a lot of time worrying that they were right when I was actually thriving. This also goes for when to step back. You know when it’s too much, you know when you can actually do it, so trust yourself and don’t let other people get in your head about your capabilities.
3. The professor can make it or break it. Yes, seriously. I hated both physics courses I took because the professors went in circles, didn’t answer questions effectively, and clearly weren’t passionate about the subject matter (because really, the introductory parts are not where physics gets cool) and as a result the classes were awful. I really liked quantum chemistry and thermodynamics, both of which are full of physics because the professors were passionate, engaged, and effective at answering questions. Always check the professor’s reviews and it’s ok to wait to take a class with a professor you actually like because you will always be happier with a teacher who is passionate and engaged versus one who doesn’t actually care.

“Back in my day…” The chastity gates were open during the day, campus was full of dogs and toddlers, and dance technique classes were one credit each.

What was your favorite class at Columbia? I have lots of favorites but some shoutouts go to Advanced Organic Chemistry with Professor Rojas, Educational Foundations with Professor Throop, and Countertechnique with Francesca Dominguez!

Whom would you like to thank? Liz’s Place for the caffeine, The Barnard Dance and Chemistry Departments for both pushing me and supporting me, the Milstein green chairs for many a comfy study session, and my incredible friends for all the adventures, late night study sessions, and all of the incredible support and memories.

One thing to do before graduating? Make some art!! There are countless opportunities to dance, act, write, sing, do comedy, and any other form of art you can think of. Making art with people is one of the most rewarding things you can do and it’s the perfect opportunity to make some friends.

Any regrets? Yes and no, I wish I had known it was ok to say no to things sooner, but I also know I kind of had to learn that one through experience.

Adara via okr_photography