Address by Ali Hasan
Valedictorian, Convocation 2014, Aga Khan University
Respected Chief guest, members Board of Trustees, distinguished guests,
esteemed faculty, dear parents, graduates, ladies and gentlemen,
“Assalam Alaikum”, and good evening
It is an honor and a privelage, to welcome
you to this convocation on behalf of the graduating classes of 2014,
doctors, nurses and educationists, welcome to a moment in time, that you
will cherish throughout the rest your lives.
Today is a special day,for all of us present
here,for a number of reasons, from the youngest siblings brought along
to watch their brothers and sisters be exemplified as role models ,to
the parents and the grandparents to gaze upon their sons and daughters
with a sense of pride, a
sense that can not really be matched with any
feeling in the world,so took a moment to cherish it. you have deserved
it, all of you.
Because today, today is a day of
recognition,to acknowledge the success of this years graduating
classes,success that has come through preservence, through
dedication and through personal sacrifice.
and not only for the graduating classes,but
also for the parents the friends the family the teachers. this
achievement is one that could not have been done without the
support of those who are nearest to us and today is a celebration that you are all very much a part of too.
We are all united as one today,in a shared sense of pride, in joining a community of alumni that is known as much
for its achievements as it is for its sense
of camaridary throughout the world, and that is why as we set out to
walk on our paths to try and realize our dreams,no
matter how hard that path is,if there is one thing we know ,it is that we will never walk alone.
But the pride isnt only on being academic
graduates, for you see This institution prides itself not only on its
high standards of education,but also on never compromising on its
adherence to a moral and ethical code.
To all the parents here,these
graduates,theyre children to you,and they ll still be children to you
even when they are 78 years old,but when they woke up,every morning at 7
am,and yes that is hard to believe seeing the atrocious times they wake
up now that
theyre home,but when they woke up at 7
am,.put each and everyone of their personal problems behind them,put on
their labcoats ,and walked down to the wards or the labs,they werent
just children,they were bearers of hope and empathy...and that makes
them special,
These 'children' you sit next to they're
not just children,in these past few years,they were someones
hope,someones best friend,someones source of inspiration,someones source
of support,i couldnt imagine spending this time with anyone else and
being as proud to stand up here as i am today and say i belong to the
graduating classes of 2014.
We have all had some amazing moments here,and
not all have them have been related to our academia,from the mini
cricket world cups in the parking lots late at night,where you could
always find our version of the misbah ul haq from the technical
institute advising a defensive batting style,or the afridi from the
medical college who always came with fantastic hair but only an average
of 6 runs, to the debating contests and theatrical plays and singing
competitions ,where we would all unwind and laugh,to the food banquets
outside the auditorium where we would all remember our sole duties as a
Pakistani were to make sure that not a single speck of food remained if
we could help it,these are memories that will not soon be forgotten.
But amidst all this if there is one thing
that i want you to never forget ,its that our lives are not our own. We
are bound to others, past and present, with every action,and even a
single act of kindness from your hand can ripple through the centuries
and change the future.
We live in a society of economic disparity,
where oppurtinites to stand at this very pedestal that each of you will
come to stand upto in a moment,are so very hard to provide,but so
deserved for so many, so be proud of what you have achieved but at the
same time,be humble and remember all those children that you can help
guide to this very point through education and healthcare, children who
will not be able to reach here without your hand holding them up the
same way someone once held yours. amidst all the talk of ambition and
financial success that you will herald in your lives,never let yourself
forget where you came from,how this country ,which is in dire need of
your help,gave you the oppurtinity to stand where you are today,and
never forget to give back...
Always remember you have within you the strength the patience and the passion to reach for the stars and change the world, and for you classes of 2014, nothing less will be acceptable.
For the last time,parents and graduates, teachers and staff give it up for the classes of 2014!
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