AUS holds luncheon for Spring 2012 graduating class

In preparation for the Spring 2012 Commencement ceremony to be held this weekend, American University of Sharjah (AUS) held a luncheon to honor the graduating class today, June 7, at the university.

The luncheon, which was organized by the AUS Office of Development and Alumni Affairs (ODAA), honored the 506 undergraduate and graduate students who will be graduating on Saturday, June 9. Their parents, relatives and friends also attended the luncheon.

The event also saw eight distinguished graduates being honored for their academic excellence and for graduating with honors at the top of their class. They were: Zainab Nuruddeen Abdurrahman, Reena Anis Sachedina, and Aleena Nasir Khan of the School of Business and Management; Bayan Abdulaziz Kattan, and Ghaith Nu'man Hattab of the College of Engineering; Vidya Diwakar of the College of Arts and Sciences; Suheyla Takesh of the College of Arts, Architecture and Design; and Sabika Zehara who received the Unilever Leadership and Community Service Award for her extra-curricular activities. The awards were sponsored by Unilever.

"I would like to welcome graduating seniors, their parents, friends and faculty to this graduation luncheon, a luncheon given to honor the achievements of those young men and women graduating on Saturday," said Dr. Peter Heath, AUS Chancellor.

Dr. Heath told the graduating class that he expected them to join the many graduates of AUS in doing their best to serve their communities and lift high the AUS banner. "As alumni you will join more than 7,000 AUS alumni who are already making a mark in the world, among them are Salah Al Shamsi, who chaired the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum, the First Secretary at the UAE Embassy in London; Reem Al Ghaith whose artwork is being exhibited in the most famous art salons in Paris, London, and New York; Saud Al Nuwais, now the UAE Commercial Attaché in Washington, D.C.; and Tofol Al Nasr who works as an International Government Relations Advisor at the ExxonMobil Corporation in Washington, D.C., as well," he said.

"You will join the few AUS alumni who've earned PhDs and the others who are earning Masters and PhDs. You will join the many other AUS alumni successfully pursuing their lives in many countries around the world. You will be part of the AUS Alumni Association, which has recently elected their second board in order to continue to engage more and more graduates with their fellow alumni and their alma mater," said Dr. Heath.

Speaking at the luncheon, Dr. Nada Mourtada-Sabbah, AUS Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs, supported the chancellor's message to the graduating students as she reminded them to use skills gained at AUS to solve the problems of their community. "As AUS's youngest alumni-to-be, you in the Class of 2012 bear the indelible imprint of four or five years spent as intensive learners and questioners. Your diploma signifies that you have mastered free inquiry, originality, responsibility and personal integrity. You are entering the productive phase of your life where your flexibility and autonomy of mind and spirit, perfected at AUS, will be used to solve society's problems wherever you call home. You will give back to society what has been invested in your education and in cultivating your particular genius."

"Rest assured that you will not face the demands of society and business alone. You will have your co-workers to assist you, and perhaps more importantly, you will continue as a member of the AUS family for the rest of your life. You are thus armed with the vital network of your fellow alumni and professors to share insights and resources," she added. "Congratulations on your impending graduation and congratulations on becoming an AUS alumna or alumnus. Remember, you have new worlds to explore and conquer but AUS will remain your second home and your most active supporter in your career."

Speaking on behalf of Unilever, the event's sponsors, Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman of Unilever North Africa and Middle East, shared with the graduates few tips on things to do to prepare for the future. He told the graduates to work hard with pride, passion and courage; to challenge the known and embrace the unknown; to commit themselves to continuous learning; never to let their past define their future as well as to play to win but to win with fairness.

"In all these, remember, a sense of humor goes a long way. So don't forget to have a sense of humor and be able to laugh at yourself at times," said Mehta.