Sargodha November 1, 2017: Over 100 students, 50 girls and 50 boys, graduated in Sargodha Wednesday from the U.S. Department of State-funded English Access Microscholarship (Access) Program. U.S. Consul General Lahore Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau attended the graduation and distributed certificates among the graduates.
The Access Program provides English language and leadership training to high school students through afterschool classes over a two-year period. The U.S. Embassy currently supports 4,000 Access students in Pakistan; over 13,000 students in Pakistan have graduated from the program.
“Before joining the Access Program, I thought it would be only an English language learning course, but I realized later that it’s a whole package of personal growth. It equips the students not only with language skills but also with the life skills, critical thinking, decision making, organizing events and team building skills,” says Seerat, an Access graduate.
During the graduation, Consul General Kennedy Trudeau thanked the graduating students and their families for their hard work and dedication. She praised the University of Sargodha for their leadership in implementing the program, and congratulated the Access students for not only their language acquisition, but their commitment to public service in building a peaceful and prosperous Pakistan.