Vamanjoor: The inaugural ceremony of I year B.E. classes commenced in grandeur at the Kalam Auditorium of St Joseph Engineering College (SJEC) at 9:30 AM on the 1st of February 2021. The ceremony was attended by eminent people including the Chief Guest, Dr Ronald Sequiera, VP of HR and Operations at Arvind Motors, Rev. Fr Wilfred Prakash D’Souza, Director of SJEC, Rev. Fr Rohith D’Costa and Rev. Fr Alwyn Richard D’Souza, Assistant Directorsof SJEC, Dr Rio D’Souza, Principal of SJEC, Rakesh Lobo, HR Manager at SJEC, Dr K Jyothi, HOD of Chemistry and First Year Coordinator, Sheethal Fernandes, the Convener of the ceremony, along with the staff and first year students of the college.
Dr K Jyothi, the first-year coordinator welcomed the gathering. The inaugural ceremony beheld the grand gesture of unfurling the flags representing the dynamic departments of the college. The dignitaries along with the heads of the departments and student representatives from the freshman year unfurled the flags marking the symbolic commencement of the freshman year.
Dr Rio D’Souza, in his address greeted the students heartily and expressed his joy on seeing students back on campus after a challenging period of the pandemic, which marked a sign of great hope and a new beginning. He encouraged the first-year students to build on the legacy of the college which was founded by the students who have graduated from the college and reached far and wide becoming the brand ambassadors of the institution. He called upon students to utilize the facilities provided to them, including competent and skilled faculty members and technical staff, excellent infrastructure, and the unceasing support from the management. He inspired them to yield to the tough yet transformational process and not fight against it, to become successful and disciplined professionals.
Academic achievers were honoured by the Chief guest, Dr Ronald Sequeira for bringing home laurels in their pre-university examinations. The students felicitated were Sathwik A Bangera, Ankita R Puleyeri, Vaishnavi Bharadwaj B, Ananya Aithal, Prashanth Parashurama K, Abdul Basith and Suhani P Anchan.
The chief guest, Dr Ronald Sequeira in his address expressed his joy in being amidst vibrant and young minds. He advised the freshman year students to make wise choices in life. He expressed how the choice of college becomes a foundation for a career path and stressed on the importance of utilizing knowledge and resources to become efficient and successful professionals. He advised the students to acknowledge the role of parents, teachers, and educational institutions and strive to make a difference in the life of people in the world today. He recommended to the students to never give up even when times are challenging, work on building skills and competencies and always stand out in the crowd.
Rev Fr Prakash D’Souza in his Presidential address expressed how the day marked the beginning of the students’ professional life. He welcomed them with a warm heart and congratulated them on choosing to be a part of one of the best colleges in the region. He encouraged the students to take up challenges, build a daily schedule, be organized and have a good mix of academic activity as well as co-curricular and sports as part of their life on campus. He told them that if they were determined, there would be nobody to stop them from touching the pinnacle of success.
The Convener of the ceremony, Sheethal Fernandes offered the vote of thanks. Salma Shabnam and Prathima S were the comperes of the ceremony.