Celebration of the 2023 Upper Secondary Graduation
The graduation of Jesuïtes Sarrià - Sant Ignasi's Upper Secondary Class 2023 was held on Friday 26 May.
Families and educators accompanied the 195 new graduates in a ceremony that was attended by the school's director general, Josep Maria Ramón; the head of 3rd and 4th year lower and upper secondary, Helena Labarta; Pau Juan, consiliary of 2nd year upper secondary; and José Maria Portabella, treasurer of the Alumni Association, and representatives of parents and student delegates.
Helena Labarta opened the event with a few words for the students: “Here at the school we bid you farewell in the hope that you will be proud to be alumni, that you will acknowledge what the school has contributed to make of you true men and women for others. Make this world a better place. Good luck in this new adventure that is just beginning, and thank you very much for having trusted in the school”.
This was followed by the speeches of the students' representatives who, in an anecdotal tone, told of their time at the school, thanked the families for having chosen Sant Ignaci for their education and thanked Sant Ignaci for everything they have taken away with them.
The students then listened to the speeches of Messrs Romagosa Peguero, representatives of the parent delegates, who conveyed a message of gratitude to the school for its educational project and the values it transmits, and addressed some heartfelt words to their sons and daughters
During the ceremony, José Maria Portabella, treasurer of the Jesuïtes Sarrià - Sant Ignasi Alumni Association, handed out the awards for excellence in research work and welcomed all the alumni to the Alumni Association, encouraging them to uphold their links with the school. The team of tutors of the 2nd year of upper secondary education, together with Pau Juan, the course's Councillor, and María Carmen Galindo, the head of the upper secondary education department, presented the graduating class with their certificates of graduation. In his address, Pau Juan recalled the motto of the schools of the Society of Jesus “Enter to learn; go forth to serve”, and highlighted certain aspects such as the ability to adapt and face challenges with autonomy, reflection, perseverance and a critical eye. He thanked the students for their activism in helping to change things in the school and concluded his speech with a quote from Saint Ignatius of Loyola: “Achieve excellence and share it”.
Lastly, Mr. Josep Maria Ramón, General Director of the school, took stock of the experiences at the school, and congratulated the students for having completed a stage of their lives “You are the school's best, without you there would be no reason for it to exist”, and extended his immense gratitude to the educators and families: to the educators for accompanying the pupils in their magis, in their personal excellence and, to the families, “for influencing, for sowing, for implying and encouraging, for helping and for allowing us to participate in the education of their sons and daughters”.
He concluded by encouraging the students to become agents of transformation in the world and to continue discovering, building and questioning things. He ended by bidding farewell, with best wishes, to the students of the class of 2023, to whom, at the same time, he left the door of the school open.
The ceremony concluded with a cocktail reception in the school's entrance garden.
“You are the school's best, without you there would be no reason for it to exist. Best wishes for the future. Sant Ignasi will always be your home”.
