Meet The Senior Interviewers
Name: Annie Ablon ’21
Majors: Religion and Art History
Hometown: Dallas, TX
High School: Greenhill School
Study Abroad: NYU Florence (Florence, Italy)
Activities at Barnard: Artists Reaching Out, Orchesis, Greek life, Campus Ambassador for Birthright with Columbia/Barnard Hillel, Office Coordinator at the Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life at Columbia
“I have found that every Barnard student shares a curiosity about experiences outside of their own. With that comes empathy, transparency, and humility.”
Name: Samantha Chong ’21
Majors: Neuroscience and Behavior (Pre-Med track)
Hometown: Ardsley, NY
High School: Ardsley High School
Activities at Barnard: Alpha Omicron Pi, Pink Freud, Peer Health Exchange, McAC, Peer-to-Peer tutoring
“I think it’s an extraordinary opportunity to be able to attend a college in NYC, and especially to use the city as an extension of my education. In my intro biology class, we had assignments that sent us to the Museum of Natural History. In an introduction to anthropology class I was supposed to find any “space” in New York City and describe it and what makes it a “space", which led me to people watch in Columbus Circle. These are experiences unique to being in NYC, and professors know it.”
Name: Cassandra Clifford ’21
Major: History (concentration in Rights, Law, and the State)
Hometown: Staten Island, NY
High School: Staten Island Academy
Study Abroad: NYU Florence (Florence, Italy) and DIS Copenhagen and Stockholm (Copenhagen, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden)
Activities at Barnard: Barnard Bookworms, Mixed Heritage Society, NSOP
“Barnard is small. Students know each other (or know a friend of a friend), professors get to know students in their classes and within their departments very closely, and clubs begin to feel more like little families rather than just extracurricular activities.”
Name: Chana Fisch ’21
Major: Psychology
Minors: Religion and Philosophy
Hometown: Teaneck, NJ
High School: Ma'ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls
Activities at Barnard: Columbia Sexual Violence Response Peer Advocate, Yavneh at Columbia/Barnard Hillel, Limda Undergraduate Judaic Studies Journal, Pink Freud, Multifaith Salon at Earl
“As Barnard students, we celebrate each other’s accomplishments, and hold each other when times are hard. In the classroom, the environment is one of great intellectual curiosity, with students engaged and excited to learn. Students have open minds and are critical thinkers, always challenging narratives and considering who has written the story set before them.”
Name: Suzannah Gifford ’20
Major: Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Minor: Psychology
Hometown: Cambridge, MA
High School: Cambridge Rindge and Latin School
Activities at Barnard: Volunteer Peer Mental Health Counselor, Volunteer Teacher at the Barnard Toddler Center, Barnard Clay Collective, Barnard Babysitter
“I chose to attend Barnard because upon visiting the campus, I realized that I would not be forced to choose solely one of my interests to pursue, nor would I need to become ‘the Barnard student.’ At Barnard, I saw an incredibly diverse group of women who were learning how to become themselves and I wanted to go on that journey too.”
Name: Norah Hassan ’21
Major: Political Science
Minor: Middle Eastern History
Hometown: Milton, MA
High School: American School of Doha
Activities at Barnard: Turath, SGA, Barnard/Columbia Middle Eastern and North African Women’s Club, Global Ambassador for Barnard ISS, NSOP, Intern at the Athena Center, Office Assistant at Student Life
“Socially, I have found Barnard to be full of people ready to learn with you, and learn from you. Being at Barnard is being in an environment that supports your intellectual ideas outside of the classroom and being around people who help me to grow when I’m not inside the classroom.”
Name: Mirai Hutheesing ’21
Major: Medical Anthropology (Pre-Med track)
Hometown: Berkeley, CA
High School: The College Preparatory School
Activities at Barnard: Bioethics Committee of the American Medical Student Association (Columbia University Chapter), Orchesis, Writing Fellows
“In addition to being brilliant and engaged teachers, faculty make it easy to form relationships outside the classroom. My professors have been approachable and generous with their time, meeting me for coffee outside of class or making extra appointments with me not only to help me with academics, but to chat about topics of interest and offer me invaluable mentorship.”
Name: Orla Kelly ’21
Major: Urban Studies (Sustainable Development and Environmental Science concentration)
Hometown: Syracuse, NY
High School: Nottingham High School
Study Abroad: SIT Sustainable Development and Social Change (Jaipur, India)
Activities at Barnard: Housing Equity Project, BOAT, Extended Barnard Reach Out, NSOP, Assistant to the Director at Community Impact Columbia
“Intellectually, I would describe Barnard as a rigorous and challenging environment but filled with opportunity. The best analogy to the Barnard curriculum is that Barnard provides you with a map and tells you where to go, but allows you the opportunity to find your own way to get there.”
Name: Carla Melaco ’21
Major: French Literature and Translation Studies (Pre-Law track)
Minors: Dance, Spanish and Latin and American Cultures
Hometown: Whitley Bay, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK
High School: Monkseaton High School
Activities at Barnard: RA, Columbia University buildON, Anthropology Department Office Assistant, Peer-to-Peer Tutoring, Columbia University Mock Trial, Barnard Greek Games, Give and Go Green, Barnard/Columbia Dances
“Whenever people ask me why have such a strong love for Barnard, my answer is always the same: Barnard is made up of the talented, passionate, compassionate, kind, bold, inspirational, and dedicated individuals who comprise its student body, faculty, staff, and administration. Every day, the combined efforts of those individuals make Barnard the incredible environment that it is.”
Name: Solace Mensah-Narh ’21
Major: Economics and Human Rights
Minor: Psychology
Hometown: North Brunswick, NJ
High School: Milton Academy
Study Abroad: IHP Human Rights (Nepal, Jordan, and Chile)
Activities at Barnard: Inclusion and Equity Committee, Speaking Fellows, SGA, Venom Step Dance Team, BOSS, Audre
“The culture of Barnard is caring and curious. People are always in pursuit of more knowledge and questioning the social conditions they have been framed to believe, both inside and outside of the classroom.”
Name: Jenifer Moralez ’21
Major: Neuroscience and Behavior (Cellular concentration)
Hometown: Corpus Christi, TX
High School: W.B. Ray High School
Study Abroad: Syracuse University Madrid (Madrid, Spain)
Activities at Barnard: Barnard Network of Pre-Medical Students, Research Assistant for Chemistry Department, Intro Bio Lab TA, Gym Attendant at Barnard Fitness Center, STEP Tutor, HEOP Summer TA, Barnard Babysitting
“Attending college in NYC can teach you something about yourself everyday. Not only do we have an amazing education at Barnard, but by living in the city, we also learn how to navigate the world. To live in NYC you need to be sensitive — to people, to physical surroundings — because anything can happen at any given moment.”
Name: Rachel Rutstein ’21
Major: Art History
Minor: Sociology
Hometown: Boca Raton, FL
High School: Pine Crest School
Activities at Barnard: Meet Me at the Museum, Athena Pre-Law Society, Sigma Delta Tau, McAC Action Committee
“Barnard students are problem-solvers, analytical thinkers, and changemakers; we are taught to question, not to take something as fact. Woven into professors’ pedagogical styles, this method of learning informs the way we think inside and outside of the classroom.”
Name: Aydan Shahd ’20
Major: Theatre
Hometown: Singapore
High School: United World College of South East Asia (East)
Activities at Barnard: King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe, NOMADS (New Original Material Authored and Directed by Students)
“I chose Barnard because it’s a meeting place of everything I wanted in a school: a small liberal arts college, an international city, a shared community ethos, a good theatre program, and a place where questions about gender and identity are always being asked and explored.”
Name: Willa Smith ’20
Major: History (European History Concentration)
Hometown: Austin, TX
High School: Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders
Study Abroad: Universität Heidelberg (Heidelberg, Germany)
Activities at Barnard: Alpha Chi Omega, Columbia Women’s Water Polo, Barnard Bulletin, Columbia Democrats
“Whether it be a new person I meet, something new I learn in class, or something I see on 116th Street that I’ve never seen before, Barnard is constantly pushing me. Through the classes I’ve taken, the clubs I’ve joined, and the friends I’ve made, I’ve learned how to be a better communicator, leader, and friend. Barnard has completely transformed me into the kind of person I always wanted to be, and for that I will be forever grateful.”
Name: Mabel Tie ’21
Major: Psychology
Minor: Education Studies
Hometown: Athens, GA
High School: Athens Academy
Activities at Barnard: Governing Board at Barnard, SGA, Community Impact, Peace by Peace, Columbia Community Outreach
“The College’s strengths are our strong sense of community on campus from professors, staff, and students, our proactive student support services such as Well Woman and Student Life programmings, our diverse artistic and cultural performances, and our student preparedness programs like HEOP and career services at Beyond Barnard that has a holistic understanding of helping each Barnard student reach their goal and dreams.”
Name: Sally Tuszynski ’20
Major: Sociology
Minors: Spanish and Environmental Science
Hometown: Kensington, MD
High School: Walter Johnson High School
Study Abroad: IFSA Butler Argentine Universities Program (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Activities at Barnard: Sprout Up, Columbia Urban Experience, Jewish Voice for Peace, Barnard Babysitting, Student Worker Solidarity, Youth for Debate, Barnard BLUEprint, Community Educator for Barnard Student Life, General Assistant at Lehman Social Sciences Library
“My favorite class (so far) was Arts and Humanities in the City, taught in the Education Department. With this class I not only got to explore radical education theory, but also acted as a student teacher for a fourth-grade classroom in Harlem. I helped to develop a curriculum about narratives and took my students on a field trip to my favorite museum. This class was unique in how it taught me about equity in learning and New York City.”
Name: Chantel Woo ’20
Majors: Psychology and Theatre
Hometown: Hong Kong
High School: Discovery College
Activities at Barnard: Student Government Association, CU Generation, King’s Crown Shakespeare Troupe, NOMADS (New and Original Material Authored and Directed by Students)
“Barnard truly feels like a home away from home in a big city that can be daunting at times.”
Name: Ren Yoon ’21
Major: Linguistics
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
High School: The Hotchkiss School
Study Abroad: Smith in Hamburg (Hamburg, Germany)
Activities at Barnard: Ratrock Magazine, SGA, Glicker-Milstein Theater Technician, NSOP, Gamma Phi Beta, Peer-to-Peer Tutor
“Barnard has a particular influence on its students to push against the boundaries set by societal norms. Stemming from its roots as a women’s college, Barnard cultivates young, aspiring activists that genuinely strive to positively impact the world around them.”
Name: Jenna Zucker ’21
Major: Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Hometown: Montclair, NJ
High School: Interlochen Arts Academy
Study Abroad: Women’s and Gender Studies in Europe (Carleton College)
Activities at Barnard: SGA, Kesher, Columbia/Barnard Hillel, the Bayit
“Our advising system is so well tailored to students’ interests and our needs as undergraduates. We are a community where students and faculty are constantly mentoring one another.”