A wave of nostalgia washed over me the moment I opened my mail and saw an invitation to the launch of The City School (TCS) Alumni- Southern Region on July 13.
A milestone achieved
A wave of nostalgia washed over me the moment I opened my mail and saw an invitation to the launch of The City School (TCS) Alumni- Southern Region on July 13. If there’s been one name that’s associated with nearly 20 years of my life, it’s TCS. I had heard my siblings talk in awe of their teachers even as their campuses kept changing; I had seen our mother hurry off after dropping us off at school, lest she was marked late (and eventually absent). It wasn’t until my admission, however, that I ‘officially’ became a part of the network; eager to learn, eager to make new friends, I became part of a family even crazier than the one I belonged to by blood relations. The launch, as I saw it, was an important step in the direction to cement those ties and I knew I had to attend even as my ‘group’ won’t.
The highs
It was a select gathering, including the alumni and heads of TCS. Those who had come seeking reunion of sorts might have been disappointed. But, hey, would it have been possible to accommodate the inane number of alumni (and I’m not counting those who don’t live here anymore)? Besides, it meant fewer speeches.
The messages
Mrs. Azarmeen Chawla, Senior Manager Co-curricular, in her ‘strong message’ said: “All alumni who have been part of this legacy of TCS have a very rich and varied experience, many memories of the time [they’ve] spent in the different campuses in the Southern Region and I feel that this is an excellent opportunity for [them] to give back to the society what [they themselves] received from this institution.” The chief guest of the occasion was Mr. Robin Davis, Director (British Council, Sindh and Balochistan). His address reiterated the value of alumni not only for the ex-students, but also for their alma mater. His message had three factions: passing of time, cultures and of ‘boiling the ocean’. The point was that time passes very quickly and for those in their twenties, life has just started; that the very strength of alumni was breaking down barriers of different faith, ethnicity, gender and age to find a common network; and that as individuals, everyone who is part of this alumni would have set expertise and experience, the ability to make a change within the community, but they should identify only a handful of people and see the latter pass around the energy instead of trying to influence the whole lot themselves. Last but not the least, he said TCS alumni were the sort of people the British Council would love to see grow and support.
Finally, the floor went to Mr. Shehryar Ahmad, Regional Director (The City School, Southern Region). In his speech, he explained: “The association’s purpose is to leverage value of connection, the power of relationships....”
Success stories
When former students take turns to speak, one simply sits up and listens. Khaqan Sikander from Aman Foundation and Dabeer Hemani of Open Door Design Studio, both well-known for their noteworthy achievements in their professional lives - were all praise for their alma mater and expressed their indebtedness to TCS for how their life has fared personally and professionally. As Khaqan Sikander puts it: “I have been very fortunate to have had this journey.”
