Reminiscences from the Gold Medalists

Jeremiah Jacob
Winner - Chancellor’s Gold Medal

Gratitude is the best word that can sum up all the feelings that I have as I pen down all my experiences at Assam Don Bosco University. It is indeed a privilege for me to be able to study in such a prestigious intuition. At DBU, I was blessed to be mentored and taught by highly qualified and professional teachers who challenged me to bring out the best in me at all levels while respecting and giving me the freedom and space that I required. The class presentations, group activities, fieldworks, NSS special camps, rural practicum, games, opportunities for organizing various events, and internships, helped me discover my hidden talents and abilities. Above all, they instilled in me the spirit of confidence that I needed.

Though physically barred by the Covid-19 Pandemic, the online classes organized by the University were effective in as far as it made me more responsible to dedicate my time in studies and participating in as many online events as possible, organized both by the University as well as other institutions, to enhance and broaden my knowledge in many areas. As I step out of DBU, I feel that through the various experiences I had had, I will be able to contribute much to the good of the common people and their wellbeing through my knowledge and skills.

The manifold blessing of Almighty God and the constant support and prayers of my family members, friends, classmates, seniors, faculty members, and the Salesian fathers and brothers of the University stood as the strong pillars of my success. I conclude with a thought on two factors that motivated me to give my best in my stay at the University. First, the desire to make those who contributed and assisted me in my studies happy and proud by giving the best that I could. Second, the constant watchword of Rev. Fr. Stephen Mavely, the Vice-Chancellor, to all students: “get involved”, he says. The two years of my life at DBU have truly transformed me. Though I miss all of my friends and teachers, the reality is that ‘life needs to go on’. I wish all my dearest classmates and fellow graduates a hearty congratulations and all the very best. I extend my best wishes to the University faculty, staff, and the management who play an important role in transforming the lives of young people the same way they have impacted and transformed mine. May God bless you all.

Nikita Das
Winner - Vice Chancellor’s Gold Medal

For me the biggest lesson in my life so far is that ‘no one can make your dreams and aspirations come true - only you can’. Achievements and recognition only come to those who are willing to put in the greatest effort. I am deeply humbled to have received such an honor from my University. It is a great honor to even be considered for the same, but to win is even greater. I was deeply humbled to hear that I have been awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Medal. It was an unexpected feeling and as I write this, the feeling has slowly started to sink in. It would not be possible to summarize all the amazing experiences I had during my 3 years in the University, but I will try my best to highlight my best moments and the experience I had as a Bosconian.

3 years ago, when I joined this university I was very excited and was eagerly waiting to start a new chapter of my life. I was eager to learn, to experience and to evolve into an improved version of myself when I entered the University. Now, after 3 years I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Assam Don Bosco University for ‘EVERYTHING’. Finding the right path to success at the right time is really very important and to achieve that I had selected Assam Don Bosco University. The friendly environment, the organized approach towards imparting knowledge at Assam Don Bosco University made me a competent individual. The wide range of activities, both curricular and extra-curricular along with the support from Assam Don Bosco University helped me become a better person. The opportunities I was given at Assam Don Bosco University had been absolutely phenomenal. I am deeply indebted to the entire governing body of Assam Don Bosco University. So, in Assam Don Bosco University, Azara Campus, starting as a student to being the Class Representative for 3 consecutive years to being the Vice President of Literary Club and to finally becoming the Student Coordinator and most importantly in these 3 years becoming a better student and a better individual were illuminating experiences. The journey and the growth that I experienced as a human being feels like a dream. I’m not sure that I would have had these same opportunities anywhere else. It is because Assam Don Bosco University invests so much in enriching its students to be well rounded, socially and morally upright individuals that we were given such opportunities.

I would like to thank the Chancellor, the Vice Chancellor, the Registrar, the Director, HoD of Department of Computer Applications and all the professors for not only educating us but also teaching us the moral values that are vital in our world now. They taught us how to celebrate our defeat because every defeat, every fall is an opportunity to learn and improve. They taught us that it was okay to fall, as long as we always get up and strive to be better than our former selves. To me, and I’m sure to many others, education is more than acquiring knowledge and developing the powers of reasoning and judgment; it is the key to freedom. Freedom to find your true calling in life, freedom from an already pre-planned future and freedom to move in whichever direction you choose. This is one of the reasons I’m so grateful to Assam Don Bosco University because it provided us all with this freedom, helped broaden our horizons and enabled us to pick the path less travelled and to find our own path to success. To the administrators and staff, thank you for allowing us to take that path to create a brighter future for ourselves. These years had been a learning experience for all of us, and yet through our mistakes and achievements, you never denied us another opportunity to initiate change, initiate conversation, initiate an idea that could make a difference. Thank you for allowing us to make mistakes, supporting our efforts, and celebrating our accomplishments. To all the professors, thank you for making learning our passion. Ten years from now, it will not be the grade you gave us that mattered, but the lessons you taught us through the textbooks, and also beyond.

For moulding us into upstanding citizens that the nation can be proud of, I owe a huge debt to the University and all those within who influenced and touched my life to make it into the amazing experience that it is today. It is a debt which I cannot repay and I am humbled by the honor the University has now decided to bestow upon me. To conclude, I would like to quote something that I strongly believe, “The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you”. So, let’s keep learning, growing and evolving each and everyday to become the best version of ourselves.