Good morning!
I, Amit Sarkar, the school head boy, am really privileged to have the pleasant task of welcoming the distinguished gathering, today, here at jawahar vidya mandir, shyamali. I deem it an honor to stand before you today and welcome you to this amazing diversifying community.
I remember clearly, it was 17th june last year, that I was one amongst you, sitting in a group of 700 and having feelings and expressions similar to what I see on your faces now. If you are anything like I was when I started, you are sitting there feeling a million different emotions and asking yourself a million different questions.
“Did I make the right choice?”
“Is this worth the sacrifices I have made to get here?”
In fact, I can assure each and every one of you that you are here because you deserve to be, and because you can bring something new and exciting to this diverse and vibrant learning community. So welcome!
Indeed, Robert frost, truly said:
Two roads diverge in a yellow wood,
And I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference...
I imagine some of you are just like me in that you have arrived knowing exactly what you want to study and intend to stay focused. I think that’s great. But I also encourage you to be open to new ideas, experiences, and directions. You are learning from the greatest in the field and with the best and the brightest surrounding you, and will undoubtedly be challenged to think about new topics or view old topics in new ways. You never know when something might pique your interest.
I came to JVM expecting an education. I will leave with so much more. I reckon the same will be true for you. The community of friends and colleagues you will find here is like no other. Everyday I learn from my teachers and my peers and feel supported by an amazing group of mentors and colleagues.
And if life throws you a curveball, the entire jvm community will rally around you to offer support and guidance. Like the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts, the jvm family appears when you need it and remains in the background, though always present, when you don’t. Not once have I felt I was alone while I was here.
Look around you. The people sitting in this room1 will be your friends, your colleagues, and perhaps most importantly, your peers. Don’t hesitate to call upon them when you need to — personally or professionally. They will be your best source of support and they will help you make the most of your experience here. I guarantee, there will be times when you wonder why you’re here (I still have those days); that’s natural. But the people on this campus will be there to remind you of the reasons. The relationships you develop here with the faculty, staff, and students will also help you build your career. You are all here because you want to become the movers and shakers of the future. I urge you to make this happen by meeting new people, tapping into new resources, and joining the jvm community open heartedly. The benefits will follow you forever.
Thrilled with joy and excitement, a bit of nervousness, we all find ourselves in a state of dilemma what is to be done and what not. But as you start studying, gradually, with the blessings, support and cooperation of our teachers, learning is easy and relishing challenges ought to come on the fate of going ahead. To face them properly and surmount them finally should be our strategy, as overcoming challenges we get a new dimension which gives ultimate satisfaction. In fact, it shows us a new direction like a preacher of multifarious opportunities to go forward. The overwhelming support and encouragement instills in us a spirit of enthusiasm to reach our goals, accomplish our task and above all believe in ourselves. A sublimated education gives sufficient freedom where the spirit of enquiry remains scintillating. The meanings of things lie not in the things themselves. But in our attitude towards them.
It is an appeal that we make to our young charges today. Help yourselves! Make the most of the fantastic educational opportunities that you have. Throw as much paint as you can on to the canvas of your education this year. If you can do that, then one day, you will be in a position to respond to the pleas of others who may need your help!
“HELP” Four letters that mean so much. You must help yourselves so that ultimately you can help others. Each young lady and gentleman here today, in their own way, will need to help. You will need to help yourselves. You will need to help us. You will need to help your family. You will need to help the environment. You will need to make sense of the world when sense and reason go missing. You will need to help solve problems through innovation and invention. And, you will need to help turn indifference into motivated, helpful action
The greatness comes not when things go always good for you. But the greatness comes when you're really tested, when you take some knocks, some disappointments, when sadness comes. Because only if you've been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.
Finish each day and be finished with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. Begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old mistakes.
I conclude by offering you some simple advice for how to make the best of your experience here at jvm. Share your knowledge and skills; don’t keep them to yourself. Challenge yourself and your peers on a daily basis. Embrace and respect one another’s passions for education, communities, policy, and practice. Absorb everything. And above all, enjoy what you do!
As a boy of 11, Harry Potter was told he had the power to change the lives of all individuals in the wizarding community. You, too, have the power to change your life and other’s too — the lives of students, faculty, and staff in the public education system. And we all look forward to doing this with you!
Once again we welcome you all……
Best of luck to each and every one of you!
Thank you.
