Columbia Alumnae Make a Collective Impact

On February 9, over 600 Columbia alumnae and friends came together for She Opened the Door 2020—a full day of inspiring sessions and speakers, including CNN's Poppy Harlow '05CC and Christiane Amanpour P: '23CC, and Nobel Laureate peace activist Leymah Gbowee. This year’s program included a fundraising initiative, Open the Door, that invited the women of Columbia to show their collective strength while paving the way for the next generations.

Participants recognized individuals who opened the door for them—personally or professionally—and then, in that person’s honor, gave to a Columbia school, program, or cause that mattered to them, opening the door for others.

Sara Ziff ‘11GS took that opportunity to honor Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch, her mentor and a fellow School of General Studies alumna.

“Dean Rosen-Metsch has been a terrific supporter of my labor rights advocacy work in the fashion industry post-graduation,” said Ziff. “I’m excited to see how the School of General Studies will continue to blossom under her leadership.”

Open the Door fundraising ended on International Women’s Day (March 8) after supporting countless more opportunities for Columbia students, faculty, and researchers across the University. The initiative raised almost $50,000 from 170 donors.

To stay in the know and connected with Columbia’s powerful alumnae network, sign up for the She Opened the Door email list.