Hundreds of Exeed College students from around the world celebrated their achievements at the El Exito 2021 Winter Graduation ceremony.
The ceremony was held in-person for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a small and intimate event with only 400 students from more than 50 countries, 126 MBA, 112 EDBM, 121 PGCEI, and 40 CACHE Diploma graduates recieved certificates of degrees and diplomas.
Dr. Vivek Mohan, Associate Dean, welcomed the audience to the graduation ceremony and reflected that “Exito,” a Spanish word for “success” is the result of sacrifice, perseverance and determination.
During his keynote speech, Firoz Thairinil, CEO of Westford Education Group spoke about the importance of continuing education and lifelong learning to a professional life. In his discussion, he mentioned that there is an exponential rate of change which the 4th industrial revolution demands can lead to a lack in knowledge and skills for professionals due to rapidly changing modern tech industries and where education in these industries are fast paced as well, it is vital for professionals to remain as re-skilled as possible. As such, continuing education is a necessity for all types of professionals from doctors to business people in order to keep up with the demand of today’s society.
Academic Director Prof. Anil Ahluwalia shared four stories from his own life, illustrating the importance of opportunity, persistence, passion and determination.
In his congratulatory message, Jose Luis Mendonza, Director of Institutional Relations at the Catholic University of Murcia, Spain, emphasized the importance of support from family and friends behind the success of every graduate. “The ultimate goal of education,” he said, “is to provide selfless service to others and the contentment thus received.”
Gonzalo De Bobadella, Dean of the faculty of Business and Law at UCAM, conveyed his best wishes on behalf of the university to all the graduates. He stated that the future looks bright as they would be the torchbearers ever ready to tackle any challenge.
Ernesto Garcia, UCAM University’s corporate partnerships manager, inspired the graduates to leave an indelible mark on the world and light the path ahead for others to follow.
In his congratulatory message to the graduates, Liverpool John Moores University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor Dr. Joe Yates encouraged them to appreciate their hard work, dedication, and commitment. He quoted William Jennings Bryan: “In life, faith is the card that you are dealt with; destiny is how you play them.”
Steve Waterworth, Head of International Partnerships, and Dr. Ceri Daniels, Co-Director and Head of Professional Learning and Enterprise at Liverpool John Moores University sent their greetings from afar via a video message since they could not attend the ceremony in person due to travel restrictions.
Poonam Heryani, Head of Teacher Education and Qualification for Exeed College, encouraged the class of 2021 to make it their mission “never to be discouraged, never hold back and give everything you’ve got.” She said “while much has changed in the world over the years, Exeed College is proud to see that the next generation of educators is well prepared to help overcome the challenges of both today and tomorrow.”
In his acceptance speech, Aneesh Soni, a graduate of MBA in Operations and Project Management, emphasized to his fellow graduates the importance of carving their own niche in the ever dynamic world and creating an unforgettable future in the process.
In her valedictory address, Dr. Frithi Herbert Magne Cum Laude winner of PGCEi offered felicitations to her fellow graduates for keeping their eyes fixed on their goals and achieving them in these times of change. She also quoted APJ Abdul Kalam: “Dream is not that which you see while sleeping it is something that does not let your sleep” and urged them to “go ahead and build your dreams because if you don’t, someone else will hire you to build their dream”.
After the official congratulations, the graduates received their degrees in the presence of family and friends. Joanne Jordan was given the Magna Cum Laude for her high marks in the MBA program, and Ms. Laetitia Mukeshimana was given the Best Dissertation Award. Aneesh Soni accepted special recognition awards for his outstanding service to Exeed Student Council. Dr. Frithi Herbert, Thomas Nelson, Kerry Niccholls and Sandy Lee were also given Magna Cum Laude awards for their PGCEi degrees.
The ceremony was followed by a variety of entertaining and games hosted by Irfan Shaikh, Arshad Ashraf, Shahid Wani and Salma Yehia. Rajasri K.N. served as a lively master of ceremonies for the entire evening.
Students and their guests made the evening one they would always remember. They threw hats in all directions, took photos and gathered to dance the night away to music spun by a DJ. The evening ended on a high note, with everyone shaking their legs to hit dance songs from around the globe.