At the 45th Graduation Day of St Francis College For Women
Hyderabad : A symphony of academic excellence echoed through the air as St Francis College for Women, Begumpet, Hyderabad, hosted its 45th Graduation Ceremony. The morning session was graced by Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu, Hon’ble Former Vice President of India, as the Chief Guest and Ms. Deepali Masirkar, IPS, Director, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and an alumna of the college, as the Guest of Honour. The afternoon session was graced by Prof. K. Shashikanth, Controller of Examinations, Osmania University as the Chief Guest and Ms. Rama Devi Lanka, Superintending Engineer, GHMC was the Guest of Honour, who conferred degrees to the graduating class of 2025.
A total of 58 students were conferred upon with gold medals and 981 students were awarded the certificates from the streams of Arts, Commerce, Science and Management. The ceremony commenced with a solemn procession of teaching faculty and esteemed guests, followed by the national anthem.
In her address, Principal, Prof T. Uma Joseph acknowledged the college’s honour in welcoming the Chief Guest, M. Venkaiah Naidu, Hon’ble Former Vice President of India as “the son of the soil”, one who embodies the values the college hopes its students to carry in life: simplicity, service, and strength of character. The Principal lauded the guest of honour, Ms. Deepali Masirkar, as an inspiration for all graduating students. “Walk with Humility, Work with Excellence, and serve with love. Make your mark!”, she concluded, encouraging the students.
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The Chief guest Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu, highlighted the event as “a celebration of women’s educational empowerment”. He construed the importance of upholding one’s mother tongue and illuminated the greatness of India with its past as a Vishwaguru and the potential of youth today in making India a global leader of education, as a result of the powerful convergence of ancient wisdom and modern technology.
Addressing the graduating class, he highlighted the importance of graduation in the life of a student as marking the culmination of years of studying with perseverance and the beginning of a new chapter. He appreciated the strength of the students, who have risen from a humble 15 in the year of inception to the current number at 3495. He commended the nurturing support extended by the 183 faculty members and 106 non teaching staff of the institution who strive together for excellence.
He underscored the importance of skill based education to make knowledge relevant to future demands, and the commendable efforts of the college to provide industry ready education through collaborations and MoUs with foreign universities and industry leaders.
Addressing the audience, he remarked that the young people before him embodied both the progress and the hope of the nation’s future. He encouraged them to lead healthy lives, respect nature, and honour their parents and teachers. He concluded by saying, “Nature and culture together will ensure your bright future.”
The Guest of Honor, Ms. Deepali Masirkar, IPS, Director in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and a distinguished alumna from the class of 2005, expressed nostalgia and pride upon returning to the college after two decades. Grateful to her alma mater, she encouraged students to join the growing number of St. Francis graduates in the Civil Services, inspiring them to be confident Franciscans who uphold the college’s motto: “Wisdom and Peace through Love.”
In her address, she shared several life lessons with the graduating students. She advised them to embrace uncertainty that comes with freedom, avoid comparisons as they diminish joy, practice gratitude, live in the present, and use their voices with empathy. She concluded by saying, “Love deeply, fight bravely, live fiercely, and never stop learning.”
During the afternoon session, the Chief Guest, Prof. K. Shashikanth, Controller of Examinations, Osmania University, stressed upon the flexibility of ambitions to adapt to a changing world. He emphasized that India demands the growth of innovators and entrepreneurs and encouraged students to develop innovation, adaptability, and critical thinking to thrive in the competitive environment. He expressed confidence in the competence of the students of St. Francis college, and encouraged the college to expand MoUs for skill-based learning.
The Guest of Honour, Ms. Rama Devi Lanka, Superintending Engineer, GHMC in her address emphasized the growing opportunities in research and entrepreneurship, urging students to explore emerging fields such as semiconductors. She expounded that the students are blessed with abundant resources and skills in the country and pointed out the gender biases in pay parity, and encouraged students to break barriers and to seize opportunities.
The graduation ceremony saw a total of 981 students receive their Graduation Certificates. Umaima Aijaz from the Arts stream was awarded three gold medals, while Nampally Supriya, G. Varsha from commerce and B. Aswini from science bagged four gold medals each.
