Caiyan '26

Major: Communication Sciences and Disorders 

Minors: Education Studies and Music Performance 

Orange Trivia: Performed with the Hendricks Chapel Choir as part of the Spring 2023 Remembrance Tour in London and Scotland. 

“Being Orange is a whole lot more than wearing the color. This campus is a family that fosters growth, challenges us to push out of our comfort zones and supports us in making a difference both on and off campus.” 

Describe your Syracuse experience.

My Syracuse experience has been nothing short of fulfilling so far. Coming into freshman year, I was blown away by the opportunities I was met with from the second I stepped onto campus. I was able to pursue every one of my passions—academic and otherwise—feeling supported throughout the whole process. This still holds true today as I have fully embraced my involvements and found my second home within Syracuse. I have a hard time thinking about graduating so soon because it means I am leaving the beautiful community I have found in being Orange, but part of being a student here is also feeling overwhelmingly prepared to enter the rest of your life because of the support and tools we have been given to succeed. 

What has been your favorite Syracuse experience so far? 

As a member of the Hendricks Chapel Choir, I was privileged to have been able to be part of the Spring 2023 Remembrance Tour to perform in London and Scotland. In our time in Scotland, we traveled to Lockerbie, where we performed for the community and ate lunch with residents of the town. This was to honor the 35th year of the tragic bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. This was my favorite Syracuse experience so far as it had the most impact on me as a student. Working the entire school year to prepare a full repertoire of music with my peers and taking it to the other side of the world to perform was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It brought me some of my close friends and favorite memories.  

How has donor generosity impacted your time at Syracuse?  

I am deeply honored to have been selected as a Remembrance Scholar for the 2025-2026 school year, a program in its 36th year which was founded as a tribute to the students killed in the December 21, 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.  

The Remembrance Scholar program would not be possible without many generous donors. While their generosity has impacted my time directly, it more generally has changed the campus community and given voice and a memory to the students who were lost in 1988. The donors have allowed us to be able to carry the legacies of the students for the rest of our lives.  

Why do you think giving is important? 

As a student involved in many different aspects of SU, I see every day how transformational giving can be. Scholarships and enhanced student experiences open doors that allow students like me to not only attend college, but to thrive here. I think giving goes further than financial support; it shows that someone has confidence in my potential as a student. It empowers us to lead, to serve, to learn and to give back to our communities. Through volunteer work, research and student leadership, I aim to honor the investments donors make in us by making an impact both on and off campus.  

What does it mean to you to be Orange?

To me, being Orange means loving your community, sharing your passions and challenging yourself to grow. I have found a second home in Syracuse, NY and it is important to me to leave a legacy behind. In everything I do, I look to be a leader. I do this not to empower myself, but to empower others. The best way to be a leader is to uplift the voices of others, a practice I have learned and grown in at SU. As you will hear many students say, being Orange is a whole lot more than wearing the color. This campus is a family that fosters growth, challenges us to push out of our comfort zones and supports us in making a difference both on and off campus. I will rep Syracuse merch wherever I am in the world with pride and will be happy to call myself Orange forever.  

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