On May 19, 2026, Sarayu Bethamcherla, human rights major graduate, delivered a speech during the Columbia College Class Day. Sarayu is the President of the Columbia College Student Council.
In her speech Sarayu said, “We have been told that to have a village you must be a villager, and I contend that to be in a world that you like, you have to confront the parts that you don’t like and make peace with the villages that you don’t always agree with. Confront your own privileges and, moving forward, look out for the little guy, who isn’t so little but has been made to look little. [...] During our time at Columbia, we looked out for each other. [...] My peers and professors here taught me to challenge the norm, say our beliefs out loud. Thank you for showing me that one single book can have 22 different readings, proof that diversity of thought is a strength in every class. [...] Thank you Columbia for a school pride that looks and feels just a little bit different; a pride, no pun intended, that taught us to be better advocates; one that has taught us that achievement grows from challenge and destabilization. Thank you Columbia for serving us but mostly letting us serve each other.”
In regards to her time at ISHR, Sarayu said: "I couldn't imagine my time at Columbia without the academic and professional support of the Human Rights department. I'm so grateful to my Human Rights professors who have implored us to study real issues and understand real impacts on people's lives. As I've learned, the study of human rights cannot be simply in theory but in practice too."
You can watch Sarayu’s full speech here (starting at 1:26)
