MB#11: 𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙇𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚: 𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙅𝙪𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.
- www.suryanarayana.com
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
[MemoirBlogthon #11] In 1996, my father, a retired superintending engineer, traveled over 200 kilometers to attend the Golden Jubilee of his alma mater, JNTU College of Engineering, Kakinada. His philosophy was that one must always honor the institution that provides the "bread and butter" for life. This commitment was rewarded with a Certificate of Appreciation that lauded him for "bringing laurels to the alma mater with his distinguished services." This memory is the blueprint for the principle I still follow today: that gratitude to one's educational roots is a cornerstone of a well-lived professional life.
The Golden Jubilee Certificate: Why My Father Never Forgot His Alma Mater
Many successful people, once their careers conclude, rarely look back at the educational institutions that provided their foundation. My father, however, lived by a different principle. He held the belief that the institution where one learned to earn a living deserved enduring interest and concern.
This principle was vividly displayed in 1996 when he was invited to participate in the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) College of Engineering in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. This was the very college where he had studied as part of the 1951 B.E. in Mechanical Engineering batch.
The Pilgrimage of Gratitude
Though already a retired Superintending Engineer, my father, then in his early seventies, traveled nearly 200 kilometers from Vijayawada to Kakinada to attend the function. I understand that only a handful of his classmates were able to attend, making his presence all the more significant.
For my father, the ceremony was more than just a function; it was a pilgrimage. He viewed it as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend such events," which would create "memories that naturally emerge to help us, functioning like medicine at this age."
This gratitude extended to all his former schools. On such trips, he made it a point to visit his school at Ramachandrapuram and P.R. College in Kakinada, where he completed his Intermediate (12th grade) course. He believed these trips allowed him to "recollect the past, live the best present, and prepare for the future."
The Legacy of a Lauded Engineer
The Golden Jubilee event formalized the profound impact of his successful career. The old students' association presented the Certificate of Appreciation, carrying a powerful and succinct citation:
"The Golden Jubilee Celebrations Committee, JNTU College of Engineering, Kakinada, AP, presents this certificate of appreciation to Sri S.S. SASTRY, an old student of the college, of the 1951 MECHANICAL Batch, who has brought laurels to the alma mater with his distinguished services as RETIRED SUPERINTENDING ENGINEER (R&B) VIJAYAWADA."This award was a crucial piece of third-party validation, confirming that his professional achievements were recognized by the institution that launched him. His participation in this event, and his subsequent discussions about it with contemporaries, was always a core topic of conversation, demonstrating the respect he commanded.
The reason for my taking out and reflecting on this certificate is simple: I followed my father's principle. More than just revisiting the institutions where I studied, I also used to conduct career guidance programs for their students.
His ethical 'why' was clear: Paying tribute to the sources of our knowledge and success is a great virtue. The legacy he passed down is that success isn't defined by the position you retire from, but by the extent to which you honor the foundations that built you.
MB#11: Quiz Quiz
MB#11: Question: Which institution was the father's alma mater that held its Golden Jubilee celebration in 1996?
A. Andhra University.
B. JNTU College of Engineering, Kakinada.
C. College of Engineering, Guindy.
D. IIT Kharagpur.
MB#11: Quote
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