​ The 12th Graduation Day Ceremony of Pathways World School, Aravali, held on the 9th April 2016, with 149 students graduating, was a solemn event.
As the Class of 2016 went through this modern-day ritual in the presence of the guest of honour Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, (PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM, VSM Bar), Mr Pramod Jain, the Chairman, Mr Prabhat Jain, Founder-Director, Mr Prashant Jain, Founder-Director, Mr Prasan Jain, Director,  alumnus, Pathways School, We w Mrs. Paramjit Narang, retired school Director, Pathways School Gurgaon and Ms. Neeti Bhalla ex- IB, PYP coordinator Pathways World School.
 
                   The ceremonial lighting of the lamp, with the middle and senior school students chanting verses from the Taittiriya Upanishad, signalled both the audience and the graduates, to brace themselves for the event to commence.
As the grand procession of students, in their graduation gowns and heads proudly held high, with the school community watching them, took their place on the stage, a surge of pride filled the hearts of every single member of their family and school, who have been a part of their journey. It was a moment that can only be described as magical.
The senior school faculty, led by the School Executive Director, Dr. Sarvesh Naidu, and the Senior School Principal, Mr. Arvind Chalasani, joined the students on the stage, to a thunderous applause by the audience, who clicked the moment away into a timeless piece of memory.

                     A round of special awards was announced for students who had displayed the true Pathwaysian spirit and those who had completed 12 years at Pathways World School, Aravali. The announcement, through a lucky draw, of the 1000th graduating student, caught Ishika Hastu –the lucky winner- by surprise. Kashvi’s song titled “ Memory’ from the musical ‘Cats’ captured the emotions of the graduating students, who were on the threshold of  beginning  new chapter in their lives, yet not quite completely willing to let go of the old one.
 
                The Valedictorian of the batch of 2016, Sasha Gopalakrishnan, made a nostalgic speech sprinkled with humour as she touched an emotional chord in the audience,  recounting the moments spent with her peers - the team spirit, the relentless effort to dodge deadlines set by the teachers, the determination to create new pathways, and carve an identity for oneself – “rounding off with a loud “ We did it”; which suddenly broke the spell bringing back the gathering to reality and to the distribution of the IB Diplomas and Certificates.
 
                  Amidst the special awards, Diploma certificates, to some highly inspiring speeches, and to the much-awaited announcement of the presentation of the graduates of 2016, with the flipping of the tassels, the august gathering witnessed some memorable performances, which made the entire faculty proud of its students. The exquisite piano performance by Shyam, to the breathless elegance of the IB Dance students, to Kairavi’s humorous monologue on surviving the International Baccalaureate, to Khoobi and Ridhima’s duet, and Grace’s powerful voice in the skit on a social issue, “Till it happens to us” ,  made everyone in the audience realize just how fast these students had grown, from those little, whining, nervous infants who clutched the hands of their parents and teachers, to individuals who had learnt not only to walk independently but to also shoulder responsibilities and start a dialogue on issues far more complex than just the classroom analysis of a literary work.
The Student Union Presidents, Kairavi Sarup and Archie Singh, shared their experiences, and the various roles and responsibilities that they successfully carried out with the help of their friends, while Diyansh, Tanushree, Sachit and Pancham, went down memory lane, sharing their experiences, from their being a part of the Vaibhav gang, to playing kabaddi to a more serious interest in activities such as the MUN and Ted Ex.
 
                The grand ceremony finally came to an end with the Passing on of the Light of Wisdom and Good Fortune, by the faculty members to the students. This lit up the entire stage with candles illuminating the face of each graduate; we could see the sense of accomplishment and pride on their faces.
It was evident that this event would stay with them long after the culmination of the ceremony.
 
Text: Astha Kumar (Grade 11)
Editing: Jaya Sharma and Cathy Anubha Banerji.
Photographs: Aseem Jain