More than a Graduation Ceremony at SRU

Pratumtip Thongcharoen

and Kewalin Angkananon

Edited by Lomeda Montgomery

Fortunately, this year we also have another important ceremony: it is a Graduation Ceremony at Suratthani Rajabhat University (SRU). This ceremony will be held between 27 and 29 October, 2011. We are all excited that SRU and Suratthani Province will be the host for this exciting event.  We are ready to welcome guests and ready to be good hosts. Let’s count down together!

What does graduation mean?

Graduation is the action of receiving an academic degree and/or the ceremony that is sometimes associated with that accomplishment. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is called commencement, convocation or invocation. For many of us, Graduation is the happiest of times; it is not only graduates who feel happy, but it is also a day of celebration and accomplishment for their families. The ceremony brings many emotions--smiling, laughing and even crying, and all come from happiness.

The Crown Prince Wachiralongkorn, on behalf of His Majesty the King, will preside over the graduation ceremony of five Southern Rajabhat Universities. There will be 3,481 graduates from Suratthani Rajabhat University who will receive degrees on the first day; 1,951 graduates from Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University and 2,394 graduates from Phuket Rajabhat University will be honored on the following day. The last day, there will be 2,640 graduates and 2,021 graduates from Songkla Rajabhat University and Yala Rajabhat University, respectively. The total number of graduates is 12,487 (12,092 bachelors, 392 masters and 3 doctorates).

In economic terms, many enterprises are going to benefit from these ceremonies, such as hotels, shops, restaurants and all manner of tourism in Suratthani Province. Furthermore, I have interviewed past graduates and found that they spent around 15-20 thousand baht per graduate for the celebration; overall this is no less than 300 million baht. Wow! That’s lots of money!

Ultimately, the most important part of the graduation ceremony is to celebrate the years of hard work the graduates have put in; they should enjoy the fruits of their labor.  We can join in this celebration of success by setting aside a nice outfit for the special occasion and welcome them as good citizens like ourselves. This is so much more than a Graduation Ceremony at SRU; it is a chance for us, as role models, to welcome new citizens into our society.  So, enjoy their success and your own contributions!