Joyous Celebration at 2025 IEFAUSA Graduation

The 2025 IEFAUSA Graduation Ceremony, held on Saturday, June 21st, 2025 at St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, was a joyous celebration of academic achievements and community spirit. This event was successfully conducted by the committees of the IEF Graduation Event with the support of IEF directors and administrators. 

IEF students and families were joined by four very special guests: the Honorable State Representative Mr. Sean Dougherty, as well as his Chief of Staff Mr. Viktor Kagan, Community College of Philadelphia Assistant Director Mr. Robert Hudson, and Drexel University Engineering Librarian Mr. Jay Bhatt. The ceremony began by welcoming our distinguished guests along with IEF Executive Director Mr. Mathew Idichandy Alapurath, IEF Director Mr. Jen Rajan Daniel, and IEF Associate Directors Mr. Amal Mathew and Mr. Aaron Johnson. Then followed the procession of the graduating class of 2025. 

Before starting the program, Ms. Rachel Oommen sang the National Anthem. Afterwards, our hosts Mr. Nigel Naveed and Ms. Evania Saran warmly welcomed all attendees, which was followed by video messages to the graduates from Bishop Mor Ostaheos Issac of the Syriac Orthodox Church, as well as Ms. Lucia Garabo, the PACAC Government Relations Committee Chairperson and Assistant Director of Admission at Susquehanna University.

State Representative Mr. Sean Dougherty delivered an inspiring keynote address, setting the tone for the recognition of graduates' accomplishments. Mr. Mathew Alapurath was also presented with a surprise special citation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for his outstanding commitment to the academic and professional development of students. After his kind and encouraging words, Mr. Dougherty, along with CCP Assistant Director Mr. Hudson and Executive Director Mathew Sir, presented the graduates with their state citations and graduation certificates. In addition, those who successfully completed the ACE/Dual Enrollment program from the Community College of Philadelphia received a Dual Enrollment Scholar pin to acknowledge their achievements.

The following students received the Dual Enrollment pin: Ayona Kuriakose, Merlin Binoy, Rachel Oommen, Rohan Sumod, Amal Mathew, Angela Babu, Rhea Samson, and Ryan Abraham. The high school graduates included Ayona Kuriakose, Merlin Binoy, Rachel Oommen, and Rohan Sumod. The college graduates included Aiswariya Shibu, Amal Mathew, Angela Babu, Philip Samson, Rhea Samson, Rini Oommen, Ryan Abraham, Tina Thankachan, Isabell James, and Jason Jose.

Several graduates also received special recognition for their academic achievements with a state citation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: Ayona Kuriakose, Merlin Binoy, Rachel Oommen, Amal Mathew, Philip Samson, Rhea Samson, Ryan Abraham, and Rohan Sumod.

The second part of recognition involved distribution of organizational awards. The Academic Excellence Award recognized students who achieved the academic distinction of Summa Cum Laude and Magna Cum Laude. The following students received Summa Cum Laude: Amal Mathew, Philip Samson, and Rohan Sumod. The following students received Magna Cum Laude: Aiswariya Shibu, Ayona Kuriakose, Ryan Abraham, and Isabell James. 


The Leadership Award was presented to Abhijith Sreejith, Achsa Johnson, Hafi Rahuman, Joel Mathews, Lida Susan Sabu, Philip Samson, Yitzahbah Dinto, and Mevin Easo for their exceptional leadership qualities and for inspiring others to contribute to the community.

The Volunteer Service Award was presented to Akhila Sreejesh, Ashvin Mathew, Merlin Binoy, and Rushel Moncy for their hard work and commitment to community service. 

The last set of awards was the organizational scholarships, which were given to students who had made significant contributions to IEF and the community. Abhijith Sreejith received the Leadership Excellence Scholarship for his strong dedication to the professional development of students. Additionally, IEF scholarships from prior years were disbursed to Amal Mathew, Aaron Johnson, Ashvin Mathew, Joel Mathews, and Ayona Kuriakose. 

Two special scholarships were awarded to exemplary recipients. First, Amal Mathew was honored with the Abraham Srakathu Jacob Memorial Scholarship, established in loving memory of Mr. Abraham Jacob, who was a very warm and philanthropic person that supported many families and organizations. This prestigious award recognizes Amal's pursuit of his MD program, exceptional leadership abilities, mentorship of fellow students, and invaluable contributions to the community, embodying the spirit of service that Mr. Jacob represented.

Next, Aaron Johnson received the Neenu and Manu Chakumgal Alumni Scholarship. Ms. Neenu graduated from Drexel University in 2012 with a BS/MS in Biomedical Engineering and has worked at Merck since 2014. Aaron, who is pursuing his Master's degree, has shown strong leadership and mentored others while driving meaningful initiatives within the organization. His actions highlight the values of service and excellence that make our community stronger.

The ceremony also featured heartfelt testimonies from graduates and alumni like Amal Mathew, Philip Samson, Sharon Samson, Merlin Binoy, and Rohan Sumod, who shared their experiences about IEF. 

The event concluded with the vote of thanks by IEF Director Mr. Jen Rajan Daniel, who expressed gratitude to the guests, organizers, volunteers, families, and especially the graduates for their hard work and dedication. The ceremony ended with the graduates cutting a celebratory cake, followed by lunch and photo sessions with families and the distinguished guests. Throughout the event, there was an enormous sense of pride, accomplishment, and excitement for the future awaiting these bright young graduates.