
Preparation for a life well lived
Students in the College of Arts & Sciences are motivated, inspired and sincere. This year, when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted classroom instruction and derailed typical senior year traditions, our seniors have shown their resilience and given us hope for better times to come. Explore the extraordinary journeys of this year’s graduates and see how their paths have prepared them not only for a successful and meaningful career, but also for a life well lived. Photos this year come from the students themselves.


Shiana Kuriakose: 'The growth mindset I was able to cultivate at Cornell will carry me through all the uncertainty'
Science & Technology studies
Ryan Musto: 'The university is a place that cares about making a difference in the world'
Near Eastern studies & history

Raven Schwam-Curtis: 'All of my classes have challenged me to think deeply'
Asian studies, Feminist, Gender & Sexuality studies
Maya Cutforth: 'I have discovered how resilient I am as a leader'
American Studies, Africana Studies, Spanish

Kyra Wisniewski: ' I loved being a member of College Mentors for Kids'
Computer Science, Mathematics
Kathie Jiang: 'I have faith in our collective capacity to love, persist and grow even in the face of a crisis'
History of Art & Visual Studies

Kalen Chang: 'One invaluable skill I’ve learned is how to approach problems'
Linguistics & Mathematics

Jack Cook: 'The most important part of learning is being confused and asking questions'
Mathematics, College Scholar
Isaiah Murray: 'I have approached writing as an act of declaration'
Information Science & Urban and Regional studies
Gavin Wong: 'Now I can stand on my own two feet and am confident in my ability to navigate the world'
Psychology & Biology & Society
Emma Clark: 'I didn't want to have to choose between science and humanities'
Computer science & Spanish
Edy Kennedy: 'Be brave enough to stay exactly as and where you are'
Performing & Media Arts & English
David Zhang: 'Cornell has taught me that anyone can make an impact'
Biological Sciences & Computer science
Juliette Ovadia: 'Cornell is an academic community founded on tolerance and inclusion'
Comparative Literature, French
Catherine Badding: 'My support network influenced my Cornell education the most'
Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Brooke Laskowsky: 'I collected bioarchaeological data on a skeletal collection from two tomb sites in Peru'
Anthropology & Archaeology
