‘Hone your skills over and above the books you read’

‘Never say never! Believe in yourself and make it happen.’ That’s the spirit of an individual who wants to shine and make a mark. To instill the same thought in students, Apeejay School, Mahavir Marg in Jalandhar commemorated its Annual Appreciation Day themed, ‘I’m Possible.’

The evening began with the Guard of Honour by the students. They welcomed the parents, teachers, staff and other guests to the function. On the occasion, Ms Gurpreet Kaur Sapra, an officer of the Indian Administrative Services (Batch – 2005) was the Chief Guest. At present, she is serving as the Commissioner – Jalandhar Division. To welcome her to the programme, the school extended plant saplings.

Mr Lal Vishwas, PCS, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Kapurthala was the Guest of Honour of the day. Amongst other stints, he has served as an Assistant Commissioner General and Public Grievances Officer in Moga and Joint Commissioner, Municipal Corporation Patiala. Currently, he is posted as SDM Kapurthala with an additional charge of ADC General, Kapurthala. Besides him, Mr Aditya Berlia, Co-Promoter of Apeejay Stya and Svran Group, Co-Founder and Pro-Chancellor, Apeejay Stya University presided over the event.

Ms Sapra lit the ceremonial lamp to mark the beginning of the Annual Day along with school Principal, Mr Girish Kumar. To seek the blessings of the divine, students danced on ‘Ganesh Stuti’. Their graceful movements and intricate costumes spread cheer and delight among the audience.

To encourage students and celebrate their stellar achievements across fields, the school distributed prizes. What stood out was how parents came forward to receive honours on behalf of their children. Their gleaming faces were filled with pride and hope.

After the prize distribution ceremony, Ms Sapra shared her thoughts. She said, “My heartiest congratulations to all the students for their achievements. I extend my wishes to those who participated in competitions and championships across domains in the past year. To the students, I would like to say that if you wish to choose a path for yourself, do it right away! And once you have done that, stick to it. Also, remember to hone your skills over and above the books you read.” She further advised young learners to not entangle themselves in situations they cannot handle. “Stay focused. The country deserves bright minds like yourselves.”

Further, she recommended that parents must establish great understanding with their children. “Don’t put your dreams onto them. Let your child achieve what they want,” she said.

After her speech, students presented a multi-lingual musical medley. Then Mr Aditya Berlia addressed the gathering. He said, “Greetings to everyone! I extend my heartiest wishes to Ms Sapra for being here today and sharing her words of wisdom with our students. My deep gratitude to all the parents for being present and partnering with us. We will continue to bring out the potential of the children and more importantly, contribute towards making them human beings with high value and character. I agree with Ms Sapra when she advised students to dream what they wish to dream. It is our responsibility to support them in their dreams and aspirations.”

To further the same, Mr Aditya Berlia highlighted how Apeejay’s curriculum is updated every couple of years to suit the needs of learners. It is benchmarked from different parts of the world as the institution strives to work towards innovative pedagogies and instructional practices. Mr Berlia also shared, “Our faculty is now supporting others across the world such as in the Middle East, Africa, parts of Europe and more. This is a testament to our hard work. Apeejay Education has 65,000 alumni and these leaders are making their mark globally. What made them succeed are the values and character built in school. Therefore, my word to students is ‘education is your best friend.’ It will be with you throughout your life. But, like any best friend, you have to spend time with it. Soon, it will allow you to see the world and transform it.”

He continued, “True leadership is not confined to titles. It is about the values and character you possess. This is something we have learnt during Covid-19 because during the health crisis, people from all walks of life emerged as leaders. I end by expressing my gratitude for your trust, efforts and hard work.”

Mr Kumar read out the annual report of the school. The document was a showcase of students’ passion, persistence and perseverance in the previous academic year. Head Girl Khushi Sharma and Head Boy Siddharth Cheema also highlighted exemplary scholastic and co-scholastic achievements of students. In the previous year, Apeejayites aced CBSE and competitive examinations, national and international-level championships and sports tournaments, just to mention a few.

At the event, Mr Kumar said, “On this special day, I reminisce about our beloved Founder-Chairman, Dr Stya Paul whose life is a perfect example of how adversities can be turned into opportunities. With his persistence, hope and hard work, he envisioned and created a legacy of excellence that lives today in the form of Apeejay institutions pan-India. He had sown the seed for this school 54 years ago and today, the school is proud to have thousands of students and alumni across the globe. At this juncture, I urge each one to pledge and follow his ideals and resolve to walk upon the path shown by him.”

He continued, “At present, Dr Stya Paul’s legacy is carried forward by his only daughter Madam Sushma Paul Berlia, Co-Promoter and President of Apeejay Stya and Svran Group, Chairperson, Apeejay Education and Chancellor Apeejay Stya University. She is a strong pillar of support for us and continues to take Apeejay to greater heights.”

After his speech, students showcased a ‘Song of Glory’ during which they held lights in their hands to enlighten others. On the special day, Mr Lal Vishwas was welcomed by the school. Shortly, he shared his pearls of wisdom with the students. He said, “This school has provided you with the platform to reach heights. Therefore, you must do your due diligence towards it. There are 3 things you should bear in mind: hard work is foremost for success, stay true to your values and be consistent and disciplined. Life is a continuous journey of progress, so don’t forget to remain positively-oriented while dealing with difficult situations. Lastly, believe in yourself and strive for success.”

His speech was followed by a Hindi play – ‘Aprajita’. It was an exciting showcase by students in which they encouraged the audience to dream big. The event concluded with a Vote of Thanks delivered by Mr Khanna. He acknowledged the contribution of the Principal, Apeejay management, school’s staff, teachers, parents and students in putting up a great show.

Last but not the least, students enthralled the audience with a ‘Luddi’ – group dance and the show ended with the National Anthem.