IEFAUSA Celebrates Silver Jubilee & Honors 2026 Graduates

The 2026 IEFAUSA Graduation Ceremony, held at St. Peter’s Syriac Orthodox Cathedral, was a momentous occasion, marking not only the academic achievements of a new graduating class but also the Silver Jubilee. The event was organized by the IEF Administrative Staff with the unwavering support of IEF directors.

Students, families, and community members gathered to share this celebratory day alongside three distinguished guests: the Honorable State Representative Mr. Anthony Bellmon of Pennsylvania’s 203rd Legislative District; Mr. Samuel Easo (Mr. Sunil Tristar), Advisory Board Chairman of the India Press Club of North America and Managing Director of eMalayalee, Pravasi Channel, and IndiaLife and Times; and Ms. Nichelle Bennett, Coordinator of Dual Enrollment Operations at the Community Collegeof Philadelphia. The ceremony commenced with the procession of these distinguished guests, together with IEF Executive Director Dr. Mathew Alapurath, IEF Senior Director Mr. Jen Rajan Daniel, and IEF Directors Mr. Amal Mathew and Mr. Aaron Johnson. Following the procession, Rev. Father Eldho John offered a prayer, after which Ms. Rachel Oommen performed the National Anthem

The hosts Mr. Abraham Mancha and Ms. Julia Mathews, along with co-hosts Ms. Rose Mary Joseph and Ms. Naomi Thomas, guided attendees through a rich and meaningful program. State Representative Anthony Bellmon delivered the keynote address, offering words of inspiration and encouragement to the graduating class. The ceremony also featured a special Silver Jubilee tribute, honoring IEF’s tradition of celebrating its graduates for the past 25 years. This celebration included a Congressional Proclamation and Silver Jubilee message from Congressman Brendan F.Boyle, a Silver Jubilee Citation from Mayor Cherelle L. Parker of the City of Philadelphia, video blessings from His Beatitude Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Joseph and H.E. Dr. Ayob Mor Silvanios, and messages from partner organizations including the International Education Accreditation Council (IEAC), National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) Headquarters, and the Pennsylvania Council for International Education (PACIE). Alumni messages were also featured through video testimonials from Rev. Deacon Subin Shaji, Mr. Graceson Kalathil, and Dr. Prashanth Abraham.

Rep. Bellmon, Dr. Alapurath, and Ms. Bennett then distributed state citations, graduation certificates, and Dual Enrollment Scholar pins. The Dual Enrollment pin, recognizing students who completed the ACE/Dual Enrollment program through the Community College of Philadelphia, was awarded to Alex Abraham, Noria Susan Varghese, Rebecca Mancha, Hannah Eldow, and Julia Mathews.The high school graduates celebrated at the ceremony were Alex Abraham, Hannah Eldow, Noria Susan Varghese, and Rebecca Mancha. College graduates recognized included Abishek Anand, Basil Roy, Reeba Abraham, Sackary Sabu, Shawn Thomas, and Steve Thomas Geo. The ceremony also honored graduates who were unable to attend: Akhila Sreejesh, Johan Jenu, Jonathan George Louis, Nigel Naveed, Rosemary Mathew, Abhijith Sreejith, Dia Anna Shaji, Albin Reji, Shaun John Ragesh, and Shilpa Ragesh.

Several graduates also received special recognition for their academic achievements with a state citation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, provided by State Representative Sean Dougherty: Alex Abraham, Reeba Abraham, Jonathan George Louis, Nigel Naveed, and Dia Anna Shaji

Mr. Sunil Tristar and Dr. Alapurath then presented the Academic Excellence Awards. Summa Cum Laude honors, awarded to students maintaining a GPA of 3.9 or above, went to Abhijith Sreejith, Abishek Anand, Akhila Sreejesh, and Rosemary Mathew. Magna Cum Laude recognition, for students achieving a GPA between 3.7 and 3.89, was presented to Basil Roy, Noria Varghese, Rebecca Mancha, Reeba Abraham, and Shawn Thomas. Mr. Jen Rajan Daniel and Dr. Alapurath proceeded to distribute the organizational awards. The Leadership Award was presented to Abhijith Sreejith, who was recognized for his outstanding contributions to IEF’s Professional Skills Development Program, and to Akhila Sreejesh for her exceptional service as a Caring and Sharing coordinator. The Volunteer Service Award honored Jonathan George Louis, Shawn Thomas, and Albin Reji for their dedication of time and effort to the IEF community.

The ceremony culminated in the presentation of scholarships. The Community Service Scholarship was awarded to Abraham Mancha for his commitment to volunteerism andto Julia Mathews for her impactful contributions to IEF’s Digital Media and Communications committee, particularly her work on the organization’s monthly newsletters. Scholarship disbursements from prior years were also presented. The Leadership Excellence Scholarship, sponsored by Dr. Shyno Mathew, was disbursed to Abhijith Sreejith. A scholarship sponsored by Mr. Shaji Vilson and Mrs. Soffy Vilson was disbursed to Jonathan George Louis. An additional scholarship was disbursed to Nigel Naveed

Throughout the ceremony, graduates offered personal testimonials that reflected on the lasting impact of their time with IEF. Abhijith Sreejith, Akhila Sreejesh, and Shawn Thomas each shared moving reflections on how IEF shaped their personal and professional growth.IEF Senior Director Mr. Jen Rajan Daniel delivered the vote of thanks, expressing sincere gratitude to the distinguished guests, volunteers, and families who made the day possible. Special recognition was given to Hafi Rahuman, William Varghese, and Ethan Edacheril for their exceptional work preparing the event’s slides and presentations, and to Associate Director Achsa Johnson and the administrative staff for their tireless behind-the-scenes efforts. Also a special thank you to Mr. Ben John, Founder and Creative Head of BAE Studio & Production, for volunteering his time to create media content for the event. The formal program concluded with a joyful cake cutting ceremony shared by graduates and guests, followed by lunch. The 2026 IEFAUSA Graduation Ceremony stood as a powerful testament to 25 years of community, scholarship, and service—and a vibrant promise of the bright futures ahead for the Class of 2026