Hannah Rostollan

Acoustics BS '23

“The biggest thing I've learned at Columbia is confidence,” says recent Acoustics graduate Hannah Rostollan.

What would you say has been the most surprising thing you learned at Columbia? 

The biggest thing I've learned at Columbia is confidence. I've come to realize that everyone has self-doubt; I am not the only one who sees myself in a critical light. Understanding this has allowed me to be the confident one, which has helped me be there for my classmates and the students I tutor. It's okay to not be perfect because success is often determined by choosing to do the right thing even when you don't feel like you are able to.

What individuals or programs at Columbia were helpful to you in reaching your goal of graduating?

The three individuals with the biggest influences on my academic success are faculty members Peter Xinya Zhang, David Worrall, and Gene Nemirovsky. They each went above and beyond their duties as my teachers to help me make the most of my abilities. They have provided me with letters of recommendation, job opportunities, career advice, and in-depth explanations of course material. Their thorough answers to my questions, patient help with my struggles, and unwavering confidence in my potential has truly set me on the course to professional and academic success.

What are your plans for after graduation?

My goal is to enter a PhD program and go into psychoacoustic research. I want to help people, and the best way for me to do that is to study the human mind.

If you were going to sum up your experience at Columbia in one sentence, what would you say?

Columbia is what you make it; my experience here has been learning how to create my own opportunities.