Columbia’s seniors crowded the Student Center on April 9 and 10 for Grad Expo. The expo provides graduating students final opportunities to check degree audits, meet with Career Center and Alumni Relations, and pick up their commencement tickets. The two day event also included professional photographers on the second floor of the Student Center who took photos of students in provided caps and gowns which could then be purchased at a later date. The expo served as one of the last steps for many students before commencement on May 18. 

Transcript: 

0:05: Columbia seniors flocked to the student center Wednesday and Thursday this week for Grad Expo.

 0:10: The Expo provides a variety of resources for this year’s graduates, including the opportunity to take free professional grad photos and to pick up commencement tickets.

 0:21: While it is free for students to take the grad photos, if students decide they want to buy the images, there will be a price associated with whichever memorabilia package they choose.

 0:30: For so long I’ve just been like

 0:32: “I’m eventually going to graduate” and now it’s like, “oh, there’s a bunch of my classmates in caps and gowns everywhere God” and like, you know, they’re like my friends.

 0:39: I know who they are, so I’m like, “oh God, like we’re graduating.”

 0:43: I’m just super excited to graduate.

 0:44: It’s been a crazy 4 years.

 0:46: I feel like this is the first time I’ve gotten to see everyone I’m graduating with, so it’s a real cool opportunity to see people who I’ve like grown up with for the past 4 years, seen new

 0:55: faces too.

 0:56: We asked students what they gained from the expo and how they’re feeling as they move towards their last moments at Columbia.

 1:03: So I was coming to Grad Expo because it’s like, you know, required.

 1:06: I got to pick up my tickets and everything, and also just to see like all the different things.

 1:11: I thought it was really cool how the college has all the different booths like for the Career Center, College Advising, Manifest.

 1:16: Yeah, well, I didn’t know.

 1:18: We still have access to like the Career Center after we graduated, which is really nice.

 1:23: I guess the process is a little bit different after you graduate, that makes sense.

 1:26: So it’s super exciting and I’m super proud of everyone.

 1:30: The Expo was the last step towards graduation for many of this year’s seniors.

 1:34: Commencement takes place Sunday, May 18 at Credit Union One Arena.

 1:39: This is Ali Brenneman for Chronicle TV.