At Barnard College’s 134th Commencement ceremony on May 19, there will be the familiar sea of women in light blue cap and gown navigating the bustle of Midtown Manhattan — almost 800 graduating students, each preparing to take on the new title of “Barnard alumna.”
The expected graduates hail from 29 countries, among them Australia, Indonesia, Switzerland, and Zimbabwe. They are art historians, applied mathematicians, and ethnomusicologists. But the most popular major for the Class of 2026? Economics, with English and computer science tied for second. Six students will be leaving as not just Barnard friends but as Lions teammates, putting down their college oars, foils, and squash rackets to enter the next stage of life. Almost one-fifth are the first in their families to graduate college.
And while some will say goodbye to New York after earning their degrees, others will move just across the street. More than 70 are expected to begin graduate programs at Columbia University in the fall through Barnard’s Accelerated 4+1 Pathways, earning combined bachelor’s and master’s degrees in just five years.
“When the Class of 2026 crosses the stage at Radio City Music Hall, it will mark the beginning of a new chapter with infinite possibilities,” said Nikki Youngblood Giles, Vice Dean of Campus Life. “For some of our graduates, this means entering the professional world, starting careers at major corporations, nonprofits, or research organizations. For others, there are graduate programs and fellowships ahead. It might feel bittersweet, but as generations of Barnard alumnae can tell them, their alma mater is a connection built to last.”
Those “infinite possibilities” include financial services, now the top career destination for Barnard graduates. It can be a challenge to navigate entering the corporate world, but students had a helping hand from Beyond Barnard, the College’s integrated hub of lifelong career support. From intensive advising, funding for internships, and mentorship connections to alumnae at events like the annual Opportunities Conference, no student is left to chart their path alone.
2026 Seniors
One future finance professional is Carly Law, a Bridgewater Scholar and economics major who is heading to JPMorgan Chase to work in the bank’s Commercial & Specialized Industries division. Law found the “diverse perspective” she brought to her summer internship at JPMorgan to be an unexpected strength — coming from a small liberal arts college, she offered different ideas and global context to the projects her team was tasked with.
“I worked hard, I made a lot of friends, and I was fortunate enough to earn a return offer,” Law said.
More than three-quarters of Barnard students complete an internship during college — and more than 400 are made possible each year through the generous financial support of Barnard’s philanthropic community. Internship experiences remain a critical part of training for the workplace, and are a chance for many to secure full-time positions before the rush of senior spring.
Alicia Lopez-Guerra, a double major in environmental science and political science, began interning at the boutique law firm Brick & Patel in fall 2025, providing administrative support and helping partners at the firm with document preparation. She plans to stay on with Brick & Patel as a paralegal, gaining critical experience in the legal profession before pursuing a J.D.
When Chiamaka Kanu interned at Boston Consulting Group, she made it a point to foster connections with the people she hoped might be future colleagues. Her meeting with Debbie Lovich ’89, a longtime Senior Partner at BCG, was transformative. Now, after graduating with a double major in neuroscience and English, Kanu will return to the firm as a first-year associate.
“Debbie talked to me about what it means to be a woman in consulting, this historically male-dominated field, and how she was able to rise through the ranks to a senior-level position,” Kanu said. “Hearing about her life and career was inspiring to me, and a clear-cut example of how great the communities are at both Barnard and BCG.”
Not every senior is quite done with schoolwork. With the support of individual advising and application coaching, Barnard has brought many students to their next academic milestone: law school, medical school, business school, or a range of doctoral and master’s programs.
Kayla Andree, an urban studies and public health double major, will spend one more year in Morningside Heights while she earns a master’s degree at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. It is the home stretch of her MPH 4+1 Pathway, and there will be little time for summer vacation — through Mailman, Andree is interning as a public health educator in the emergency department at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. In her few spare moments, she plans to study for the MCAT.
“To be a successful physician, I think you need a strong public health background,” Andree said. “The master’s program at Mailman is a way for me to get a head start before I even apply to medical school.”
Shelley Jones, a chemistry major, is packing up her beakers and flasks for a new lab. In the fall, she will begin her doctorate in organic chemistry at the University of Virginia, which happens to be the alma mater of her Barnard mentor, Professor Christian Rojas. Jones’s goal is to work in pharmaceuticals: “I’m passionate about developing real solutions for chronic conditions that have no serious or viable solution right now, and might be underfunded, understudied, or just misunderstood,” she explained.
Trading New York for Boston, Claire Killian plans to earn her master’s degree in theological studies from Harvard Divinity School. The program will allow her to dive into the “perfect marriage” of her academic interests: religion, language, literature, and the visual arts. A double major in religion and art history, Killian received other exciting news before the end of the semester — she was awarded the religion department’s Caroline Gallup Reed Prize and Barnard’s Schwimmer Prize, presented annually to an outstanding senior in the humanities. To top it off, she is a Fulbright Semi-Finalist.
“At Harvard, I know that I want to continue working in carceral justice spaces and to enrich and explore the foundations that I’ve established at Barnard,” said Killian. “It’s so important to me to connect my academic pursuits to the practice of care in the communities around me.”
For Briana Dominici, an environmental science major, post-grad life stems from a chance college connection. While taking courses in Columbia Climate School’s Sustainable Development Program, Dominici met a classmate who worked at Brookfield Renewable Partners, the owner of a portfolio of renewable power solutions and technologies. Brookfield offers a two-year rotational program for new graduates, which Dominici will begin this summer.
“I’m excited to keep learning in a position that I know will ask a lot of me, and where I will be expected to think on my feet,” Dominici said. She will get to explore a range of specializations, from financial planning — how much does it cost to have solar panels power homes in New York? — to legal contracts and the integration of clean power into local communities.
Charlotte Weinstein, a political science major, is set to begin a full-time role at Gallagher Re, one of the largest global reinsurance brokers, soon after graduation. She interned with Gallagher last summer on the island of Bermuda, where she grew up, and found the work compelling — “insurance for the insurers,” as it is often referred to. Her new office will be in Midtown Manhattan, just a train ride south of Barnard, but representing a different version of New York life.
“I know that I’ll remember studying at the libraries late at night and hanging out on the lawn when the weather is nice,” Weinstein said. “Just all these little, happy moments.”
For the Class of 2026, the Barnard years might be coming to an end, but those memories — the “little, happy moments” — will be permanent keepsakes. Each student is sure to be thinking of their own when the tune of “College on a Hilltop” begins:
So we’ll sing to dear old Barnard,
And loyal be and true.
As we show to coming classes
How we love the white and blue.
Barnard’s 134th Commencement ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 19 at 4 p.m. at Radio City Music Hall. It will be live streamed and available to watch on this webpage.