THE JOY OF GRADUATION AT TARSUS AMERICAN COLLEGE
The 2015 graduates of Tarsus American College, which has internalized the motto "Leaders for Turkey, Leadership for the World" for 127 years, received their diplomas in a traditional cap and gown ceremony. 72 seniors who graduated this year were seen off the TAC campus in a memorable ceremony.
The ceremony in the historic campus of Tarsus American College, governed by Health and Education Foundation with one and half century of experience in education, saw high attendance by the SEV administrators, school administrators, teachers and parents.
"THEY ARE READY FOR LIFE"
The ceremony started with the graduating class slowly descending the stairs of the Stickler building accompanied by music. Günseli Yüksel, TAC principal, who presented her remarks in the ceremony, expressed the gloom of seeing these students leaving school stated: "However, they were raised strongly, as self-condfident individuals with a strong sense of responsibility, which is reassuring".
"CHOOSE YOUR OWN SUCCESS"
TAC's Headmaster Andrew Leathwood, in his remarks which were touching tone, wishes the graduating group best of success.
"The most successful person that I have known was Stan Leathwood. He was by all measure a simple man. He was a hard working family man who raised seven children in relative poverty in a small mining community in Canada. He passed away several years ago. When we walked out of the church there were over a hundred people. When asked why they waited, people saıd “because everyone in this community loved your father”. My father’s recipe for success held those four ingredıents – family, community, love and friendship. He exceeded his expectations in all of those. I tell you this to stress that the ingredients for everyone’s recipe for success should include ingredients of YOUR choosing, not society’s or someone else’s. So agaın, I wısh all of you the greatest of YOUR own kınd of success."
TAC PRIDE OF THE FEMALE CEO
Mine Aydın Ayhan, TAC 86 graduate who is the CEO of the Generali Group, expressed in her keynote speech her great happiness to be reunited with TAC thirty years after her own graduation. Sharing some statistics, she stressed that the percentage of female CEOs in Turkey is only 12%, a group which she is proud to belong.
"That means 12 out of 100 CEOs are women. Howeveri what is strking about this fact is, we are ranking the second with this percentage. This means that even in the most developed countries of the world, there is a low number of women in senior executive positions despite the high number of female working force. For example, I was the only female CEO in Generali group in all its offices in 65 countries until four months ago. Now, we are three".
"I OWE ALL TO TAC AND MY FAMILY"
Ayhan, who stressed the significant contribution of graduation from TAC on her career journey starting as an intern at Yapı Kredi to being the CEO of Generali Group said "If I am here, making this speech as a CEO with certain accomplishments, this is possible thanks to TAC, and to the support, love and sacrifices of my parents and my son who are among the audience, my husband who is currently abroad, and my older son.
TRANSFERRING TO THE COMMUNITY OF TAC GRADUATES
Following the remarks, the top three ranking students received their certificates while a grade 11 student was presented the Dr. Ertan Dumanlı Exemplary Student Award. Dr. Ali Cerrahoğlu, President of the TAC Alumni Association who presented the award with Mr. Tamer Şahinbaş, Chair of the Board of Trustees highlighted the tradition of solidarity and unity between TAC graduates.
"In the TAC tradition, commencement ceremony is the symbol of completion of being a student and joining the community of TAC graduates. At this moment, you are completing the school phase of your TAC experience, and moving forward as a TAC graduate. Your abis and ablas are looking forward to embracing and supporting you in the universities which you will be attending. Your school has provided you with a culture of unity, friendship and support, as well as a never ending love and respect. From now on, and for the rest of your lives, you will continue to take ownership of this ethos, which we call the "TAC SPIRIT".
THEY ALREADY DONATED BRICKS
Dr. Cerrahoğlu who reminded the fundraising activities of the alumni towards the brick by brick scholarship, which enables students with limited finances to join TAC, said:
"All alumni and friends of TAC are supporting our scholarship activities to the best of their capacity. We thought that the most meaningful award we can give to our youngest graduates who are the top three ranking in their graduating class is making a brick donation to this cause on their behalf, and immortalize their names as contributors on the campaign website (birtugladasenkoy.com).
Following the Student Council handover ceremony and the distribution of graduation certification, 72 new graduates lined up in Stickler stairs to throw their caps.