“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

 - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Which event is the singularly most momentous moment in a student’s life? Which occasion makes a person relieve in a kaleidoscopic fashion the entire duration of the first significant innings in his life? It is the Farewell party, thrown in honour of the students who have a very strong bonding with their school.

Celebrating countless memories, the 8th of February 2025 was a bitter-sweet day for St. Joseph’s College, Prayagraj as it bid farewell to the students of the outgoing batch of class 12th, and their 13 years which would always remain etched in the history of the institution.

The proceedings commenced with the President of the Association of Mass Communication, Arishh Abraaham Aalam, welcoming the Principal, Rev. Fr. Walter D’ Silva, the Headmaster, Rev. Fr. Melwin Pais, the Middle School Administrator, Rev. Fr. Gladwin Fernandes, the Additional Administrator,Mr. Aubrey McGowan, the Staff Coordinator Mr. Jyoti Dube, the parent representatives, Mr. Digvijay Singh and Mr. Ajay Kumar Singh, parents and the students of class 12th as they were escorted to the venue by their respective class teachers.

The symbolic act of the Lighting of the Lamp was led by the Principal, Rev. Fr. Walter D’Silva,Parent Representative,Mr. Digvijay Singh, the representatives from each section, Prakhar Kanoujia of class 12 A, Shikhar Kanoujia of class 12 B, Sangyan Singh of class 12 C, Vansh Jain of class 12 D, Shreyansh Dwivedi of class 12 E, and Dhruv Mishra of class 12 F.

The College Vice-Captain, Nishkarsh Gupta, addressed the gathering, welcoming them and emphasising on harnessing the currency of time while also highlighting that the seniors should keep working towards the fulfilment of their goals in life as its both hard work and hope, which sustain us in the long run.

The College Vice Head Marshal, Kevin Terry Velluthara, offered the prayer following which a prayer song was sung by the College Choir.

A spectacular documentary on the ‘History of SJC’,was introduced by Shikhar Awasthi, supervised by Dr. Vishnu Deb,andmade possible through the diligence and creativity of Vihaan Katiyar, Prashant and Kshitij Vyas. It is pertinent to note here that Abhishek Verma, a Josephite from the batch of 2014 helped tremendously in gathering the archives of our school. Needless to say, the entire audience loved the inspiring journey of the institution and its roots, as displayed in the well-crafted documentary.

The theme of the Farewell was then revealed by Shayan Zaman, which was, “Heures D’Emeraude Chroniques D’or”, meaning, “Emerald Hours Golden Chronicles”.

A video presentation of the messages of the Administrators, Coordinators, and Senior teachers was displayed, after whicha farewell song was sung by the College Choir, under the able guidance of Mr. Saubhagya Nayak, which aptly captured the emotions of the outgoing batch.

Aditya Mishra from class 12 A,took to the podium to deliver his speech. In his speech, he reflected on the journey of thirteen years and all the lessons learned, getting visibly overwhelmed by the memories. He alsothanked all the teachers who dedicated their lives to nurturing the minds of the future generations.

Teachers from PrimarytoSeniorschool gave the message of hope, blessings, goodwill and best wishes to the outgoing Batch of 2025 through video messageswhich were played at different intervals during the programme.

Creativity has always been the forte of St. Joseph’s College and a modern day adaptationof Macbeth was then presented by the students of class 11, under the brilliant supervision of Ms. A.J. D’Cruz.

Next up, Usmani Abdul Rahman of Class 12 B, took to the stage to express his heartfelt gratitude to all his teachersfor making his school life memorable and for imparting values, knowledge and skills. He ended his speech on a nostalgic note, with a poem dedicated to his friends.

Ahmad Noyaan Nadeem Khan of class 12 Cexpressed how this institution became a second home for the students, how strangers became friends and how teachers filled them with values for life. At last, he thanked all the teachers for being the most important personalities in his life.

Coming up,Dr. (Mrs.) Sheetal Sebastian dwelt on how this farewell is just a beginning for the world beyond the walls. She mentioned failure is just a part of the journey and the students should not forget that more than academic precepts,the school taught themthe importance of being good human beings. In the end, she asked the students to never stop caring for all and wished best of luck to each and everyone.

A game of chance, titled, ‘Luck Loom,’ was played wherein the participants were invited from the audience, divided into two teams, asked questions on the spin of wheel and accordingly given marks on the correctness of their responses. The team with the maximum points, which was Raging Reds emerged victorious, while the other team, Blue Lagoons were the runner ups.

Kartikeya Guptaof class 12 D in his speech,thanked the teacher who taught him and expressed his gratitude to his Alma Mater for instillingmanners and values in him and providing him with the much-needed confidence to shine in life. To conclude, he expressed the hope that his peers will be adequately geared for the challenges in life.

The Head Prefect,Joshua Benjamin MasihSpeech of 12 E, in his address to the gathering reflected on two journeys: one where it all starts and the other where it ends and credited this prestigious institution for what his entire batch will ever be in our bright future. He felt inundated with the memories they created in Music Room. Heespecially thanked late Mr. Shaiju Daniel and all the teachersfor being the stepping stone in his life.

The Head Prefect, Kavya Rai, representing Class 12 F, expressed his heartfelt emotions on the long journey he has had as a part of the institution. He thanked all his teachers for their huge impact on hisand his batchmates’life. At last, he expressed how the school, where he first met strangers, had now become his second family altogether.

Up next, was an outstanding Band performance by the students of class 12 themselves led by the College Captain Mohd Sultan, marking their last performance together as a part of the institution.

Dr. Manoj Singh in his address to thegathering, emphasised the need for ethics, optimism and creativity as the most important requirements for success in life. In order to forge ahead on the path of life, he stressed upon the importance of having a healthy outlook towards challenges in life. He hoped that all the students remember to put nation first in the greater scheme of things.

In his valedictory speech, the College Captain, Mohd. Sultan,remembered thecountless moments he spent in this institution,showing his deepest gratitude towards teachers: the heart and soul of this school. He thanked all his friends for the bond they share, as it is truly indescribable. He thanked his juniors and advised them all to work hard and conquer all their dreams. At the end, he thanked all the teachers and the supporting staff for making every event run smoothly.

Post, a surprise dance Performance was presented by class 11^th boys to the gathering, the Parent Representative,Mr. Ajay Kumar Singh took to the podium to address the gathering. In the firm grip of nostalgia, hesaid that St. Joseph’s College has a rich tradition which has been in practice for the last 140 years. He thanked all the teachers for the care, mentorship and guidance they have given to students.

In a highly motivational speech,Principal Rev. Fr. Walter D’ Silva wished the very best to the versatile and vibrantbatch of 2025 hoping that they equip themselves with three weapons which will fortify them against the exigencies of the world namely prayer, character and values. He referred to the quote by Albert Einstein which asks people to focus on hard work as more important than inspiration. Furthermore, he likened life to a camera, wherefocusing and developingwhat’s important will surely lead to a resounding success in life. Society can be restored to its former glory when everyone is true to their designated role.

An exhaustive Vote of thanks was delivered by Vikhyat Mishra followed by the Concluding message by Kevin Terry Velluthara. The event got wrapped up with the singing of the College Anthem.