MULTAN – US Consul General to Lahore Catherine Rodriguez congratulated 250 students on successful completion of the US State Department-funded two-year English Access Microscholarship English learning Program in Multan.
She appreciated the hard work of the teachers, dedication of the students, and cooperation of their parents.
During the virtual graduation event, the students shared their success stories, recited their poetry, and sang a song.
In her virtual address to the graduation event, Consul General Rodriguez said, “congratulations, students, on reaching this milestone in your educational journey. We know that you worked many extra hours each week to attend classes, practice at home, and collaborate with your classmates. Thank you to your families for their support of your studies, too.”
Thanking the partners, the Consul General said, “I would like to give a special “Bohat Shukriya” to our implementing partner, the Education for Skill Development Association (ESDA), CEO Mr. Hammad Haseeb and to Mr. Fahad Khan, the English Access Manager , for your dedication to our shared goals of increase English-language education.
She observed in the Punjab, the U.S. Mission to Pakistan has sponsored five English Access sites in Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Der Ghazi Khan, and Multan. “In these programs, our partners help young adults not only to learn English, but also to learn about the similarities and differences between Pakistani and American culture, society, art, music, and traditions. The Access program is a platform for engagement between students, women entrepreneurs, different U.S. exchange programs alumni, emerging leaders in Pakistan, and U.S. diplomats, students, and experts.”
She added, “we know that English language proficiency can open doors to more opportunities for young adults. It’s a pathway to higher education, to studying science, and conducting business on a national, regional, and global market level. It is one way to help build a stronger rapport with other countries around the globe.”
She said that strong English skills are essential to take advantage of our many exchange programs offered through the Consulate such as Fulbright and Study of the U.S. Institutes. We are eager to see more Pakistanis take part in our people-to-people exchanges.
The Access Microscholarship Program is for economically disadvantaged students aged 13 to 20 years. So far approximately 22,000 students have graduated from this program in Pakistan.
