St. Francis Celebrates 45th Graduation Ceremony
He spoke about the significance of graduation as the culmination of years of hard work and the start of a new journey.
Hyderabad: A strong display of women achievers marked the 45th Graduation Ceremony of St. Francis College for Women, Begumpet, where 58 students were conferred gold medals and 981 students received certificates across the streams of Arts, Commerce, Science, and Management.
Former vice-president of India M. Venkaiah Naidu, chief guest, described the event as “a celebration of women’s educational empowerment.” He pointed to the importance of upholding one’s mother tongue, recalling India’s heritage as a Vishwaguru, and highlighted the potential of today’s youth in making India a global leader in education through a synthesis of ancient wisdom and modern technology.
He spoke about the significance of graduation as the culmination of years of hard work and the start of a new journey. Commending the college’s growth from a modest 15 students at inception to the current strength of 3,495, he praised the dedication of the 183 faculty members and 106 non-teaching staff for their role in nurturing excellence.
Naidu underscored the importance of skill-based education to make learning relevant to future needs and appreciated the college’s efforts to offer industry-ready programmes through collaborations and MoUs with foreign universities and industry partners.
Deepali Masirkar, director, ministry of tribal affairs, and an alumna of the college, expressed nostalgia and pride at returning to her alma mater after two decades. Grateful for the college’s role in shaping her career, she urged students to join the growing number of St. Francis graduates in the Civil Services and to uphold the institution’s motto, “Wisdom and Peace through Love.”
In her address, principal Prof. T. Uma Joseph expressed the college’s honour in welcoming the former vice-president, describing him as “a son of the soil” who embodies the values of simplicity, service, and strength of character that the college seeks to instill in its students. She lauded Masirkar as an inspiration for all graduates and concluded with an encouraging message: “Walk with humility, work with excellence, and serve with love. Make your mark.”