Cutting the Ceremonial Commissioning Cake

Two Columbia graduating students (Dana Clarke and Paul Randall) dressed in white naval uniforms cut a ceremonial cake with knives at their NROTC commissioning ceremony at Columbia University Faculty House.

May 29, 2026

We salute our newly commissioned graduates, whose years of training led to this sweet moment! Congratulations to Dana Clarke (SEAS’26) and Paul Randall (SEAS’26), who were celebrated at Columbia's Naval and Marines Reserve Officers' Training Corps (NROTC) Commissioning Ceremony. We also congratulate our newly commissioned Air Force ROTC graduate Jonathan Formella (LAW’26) and Army ROTC graduate Valery Tabraj Huaccachi (SIPA’26). 

For more information, check out Columbia Engineering’s recap of the ceremony.

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