“Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.”
—Nora Ephron
On Saturday 21st December 2019 the Student Council along with the PR team and E-cell of St. Andrews College organized the Annual Convocation Ceremony for the class of 2018-19. A day filled with emotions of pride and accomplishment for every Andrean that graduated and the staff that mentored them through the years.
The day started out with students gathering in their respective classes. The class teachers handed the students their degree and congratulated each of them. Every classroom in the campus was filled with vibrant energy and happy tears.
As per Mumbai University requirements, our students switched from traditional graduation robes to formal wear in white and black. Our graduates were identified by the ribboned ‘ Andrean badge’, colour coded by the faculty to which they belonged. This was sourced by the Andrean Entrepreneurship Cell. So were the sashes prepared for the class toppers.
After the gathering in the class, the students then proceeded to the basketball court where they marched proudly and flaunted their newly earned degrees. The March was headed by our Principal Dr. Marie Fernandes and the Vice- Principals Dr. Desiree Gonsalves and Ms. Melanie Andrade.The departments followed them, to a musical march around the quadrangle till they assembled in front of the main stage.
Dr. Marie Fernandes enlightened the graduates with a few words of wisdom and wished them the very best for their future. One could feel the sense of pride in the eyes of every professor in the college. After all it was their efforts that shaped these students into the young adults that they are today.
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.” That is exactly what we believe in and motivate our students to work towards.
No convocation ceremony would be complete without felicitating the students who put in days of hard work and dedication towards their degree. Dr. Marie Fernandes along with Dr. Desiree Gonsalves and Ms. Melanie Andrade felicitated the class topper from each department. With that the main ceremony came to an end.
The students then proceeded to take one final class photograph along with their respective department heads and class representatives. The freshly minted graduates were then invited to stay for the Christmas celebration and patronise a host of Andrean entrepreneurs marketing their preparations. This certainly added to the festive spirit.
It was truly a memorable day.
As the words of Senator Orrin Hatch go “Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning.” We wish our students a hearty congratulations for their well deserved success and hope to see our Andrean prospering in every field of life.
Written by Samantha Pereirra