Joyous Celebration at 2024 IEFAUSA Graduation Event Held on June 22nd

June 29 :
The 2024 IEFAUSA Graduation Event, held on Saturday, June 22nd, 2024, was a joyous celebration of academic achievements and community spirit. This event was successfully conducted by the leaders and members of the IEF Events Committee with the support of IEF directors and administrators. 

IEF students and families were joined by two very special guests, The Honorable State Representative Mr. Anthony Bellmon and Syriac Orthodox Church Archbishop Dr. Ayub Mor Silvanos. The ceremony began by welcoming our distinguished guests along with IEF Executive Director Mr. Mathew Idichandy Alapurath, IEF Director Mr. Jen Rajan Daniel, IEF Assistant Director Mr. Amal Mathew and IEF Assistant Director Mr. Aaron Johnson. Then followed the procession of the graduating class of 2024. 
 

Before starting the program, Rachel Oommen sang the National Anthem. Following the National Anthem, our hosts Nicole Mathew, Angela Babu, Nigel Naveed, and Evania Saran warmly welcomed all attendees. 

State Representative Mr. Bellmon delivered an inspiring keynote address, setting the tone for the recognition of graduates' accomplishments. After Mr. Bellmon’s kind and encouraging words, Mathew Sir and Mr. Bellmon presented the graduates with their certificates and state citations. In addition, those who successfully completed the ACE/Dual Enrollment program from the Community College of Philadelphia received a Dual Enrollment Scholar pin to acknowledge their achievements. 
 

Domestic graduates included Ashvin Mathew, Joel Biju, Joel Mathews, Riya Varghese, Aaron Johnson, Aleda Jomy, Christopher Sebastian, Lida Susan Sabu, Nathan Edacheril, Rhea Samson, Riya Abraham, Albie Joshy, Alyssa Siji, Angela Gigi, and Janis Jaison. Several graduates also received special recognition for Academic Leadership with a citation from the State of Pennsylvania: Ashvin Mathew, Joel Biju, Joel Mathews, Riya Varghese, Aaron Johnson, Aleda Jomy, Christopher Sebastian, and Rhea Samson. 

The following students received the Dual Enrollment pin: Ashvin Mathew, Joel Biju, Joel Mathews, Riya Varghese, and Christopher Sebastian. International graduates included Aaron Raju, Aneesha Kuriakose, Archisha Vinod, Benito Babu, Betsy Deen Mathew, Eben Skariah, Isaac Aju, Joel Philemon, Joanna Philemon, Sreya Babu, Rithu Jayaraj, and Shawn Thomas. Mr. Bellmon was also specially congratulated as a 2024 graduate for receiving his Masters in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania. 

After recognizing the graduates, Archbishop Dr. Ayub Mor Silvanos prayed and blessed the graduates. The second part of recognition involved distribution of special organizational awards and scholarships. The Leadership Award was presented to Philip Samson, Aaron Johnson, and Amal Mathew for their outstanding leadership qualities and for motivating others to contribute to the community. 

The Academic Excellence Award recognized students who achieved the academic distinction of Summa Cum Laude and Magna Cum Laude. The following students received Summa Cum Laude: Riya Varghese and Amal Mathew. The following students received Magna Cum Laude: Joel Biju, Joel Mathews, and Aleda Jomy. 

The Volunteer Service Award was presented to Riya Varghese and Achsa Johnson for their commitment to community service. Joel Mathews also received a certificate to recognize the successful completion of his high school Capstone Project with the organization. Lastly, the organizational scholarships were awarded to students who had made significant contributions to IEF and the community. The recipients of the IEF scholarships were Joel Mathews, Aaron Johnson, Amal Mathew, and Evania Saran. The ceremony also featured heartfelt testimonies from graduates like Riya Varghese, Joel Mathews, Nathan Edacheril, and Aleda Jomy, who shared their experiences with IEF. 
 

The event concluded with the vote of thanks by IEF Assistant Director Amal Mathew, who expressed gratitude to the guests, organizers, volunteers, families, and especially the graduates for their hard work and dedication. The ceremony ended with the graduates cutting a celebratory cake, followed by lunch and photo sessions with families and the distinguished guests. Throughout the event, there was an enormous sense of pride, accomplishment, and excitement for the future awaiting these bright young graduates.