Sheikha Bodour confers degrees on 670 students at AUS Spring 2023 Commencement

Sheikha Bodour confers degrees on 670 students at AUS Spring 2023 Commencement

Sharjah: ‘In a way, you’re better equipped for real life than previous generations of university graduates,’ having ‘completed your studies through an unprecedented global pandemic,’ said Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of American University of Sharjah (AUS), at the university’s Spring 2023 Commencement ceremony held on June 10 at University City Hall in Sharjah.

Marching to the rousing ‘Towards a New Life’, Op. 35c by Josef Suk, 670 undergraduate and graduate students followed the banners representing their four colleges amid cheers from friends and families, to take their place on the stage and receive their degrees.

Sheikha Bodour congratulated the graduates and shared three reflections that had shaped her life, quoting Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Maya Angelou, and Gibran Khalil Gibran respectively.

She said: ‘Do not twist yourself to please others. When you’re young, it’s hard to assert your cultural identity for fear of being rejected. Always remember who you are and where you came from (...) People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. It’s easy to focus on individual success and overlook the importance of kindness. A small act of kindness has an impact