By Fr Richard Burkhao for BISMumbai

The past pupils of Don Bosco English Medium School, Savedi, Ahmednagar, had their first reunion on 30 September 2023. The event was held with the purpose of creating a link with the students who had passed out and also to encourage them to join and be part of the Don Bosco Past Pupil Association (DBPPA). Altogether, 85 past pupils gathered together to celebrate this long-awaited event.

The school, which had started in 2011, witnessed the passing out of its first batch of Grade 10 in 2018. Since then, this was the first reunion of the past pupils. The celebration was graced with the presence of two resource persons: Mr Madan Nair - the Vice President of the INB Past Pupil Association, and Mr Marcus Patole, Treasurer of the Don Bosco Yerwada Past Pupils’ Unit. Fr Richard D’Silva - the Rector, and Fr Richard Burkhao - the Principal, were also present. 

The event began at 11 a.m. with the garlanding of the statue of Don Bosco by Mr Nair. This was followed by a short prayer service animated by the students of Grade 9. While addressing them, Fr D’Silva officially welcomed the past pupils and expressed his elation at seeing the presence in large numbers. Later, Fr Burkhao introduced and welcomed the resource persons who were felicitated by the Rector.

Mr Madan Nair gave a brief history of the Don Bosco Past Pupil Association, highlighted its membership and the objectives of the association and encouraged them to join the same. Mr Patole spoke about the different events organised by the DBPPA Pune Unit, with a special focus on the activity organised by the past pupils during the pandemic. 

Later, Fr Burkhao asked each past pupil to introduce themselves along with the year of graduation. It was a heartfelt sharing where some of them spontaneously came forward and shared their gratitude towards the institution, reminiscing about a few old memories. One of them, Ms Sayli Kasab expressed her gratitude by saying, ''I am very proud to say that I was the first admission to the school and feel proud to be part of Don Bosco Institution, which has grown so beautifully over the years''. Ms Mahima Shinde, who is the first rank holder of the Batch of 2018, expressed her gratitude towards the institution, saying, “I am so lucky to be part of this school, which has made me what I am today”. Ms Sanskruti Chavhan shared an incident from her school life and appreciated the teachers' hard work and bond with them. 

Later, the alumni met their teachers and spent time with them. Truly, it was a memorable homecoming.