Annual Function of NED Alumni Association of Southern California
Every year the alumni of NED University of Engineering and Technology (NEDUET) hold a function of entertainment and fundraising for scholarships for the needy students under the umbrella of NED Alumni Association of Southern California (NEDAASC). This annual gathering of NED Alumni and their friends was held on October 20, 2012 at the Knotts Berry Farm Resort Hotel, Buena Park, California this year. About 230 people were in attendance.
Syed Shariq Reza was the Master of Ceremony of the function and did an excellent job to ensure the smoothly moving of the program starting with the recitation of Holy Qur’an. Arshad Jawaid Syed, President of the NEDAASC, addressed the guests. Arshad’s speech was full of emotions and passion which set the stage for fundraising during the later part of the evening. Arshad summarized the accomplishments of NEDAASC, and presented the future plans. They include:
Forty fully paid tuition scholarships to under-graduate students.
Essay competitions were held for three years which provided excellent input from the students to alumni and school to better prepare for the future.
Two Graduate Research fellowships in the name of NEDAASC Ashraf Habibullah. Each fellowship will be for Rs 25,000 per month for two years for a master’s program and four years for a PhD.
Research Publication Award to be given to six students for publishing their research in international journals.
Assistance to NED University graduates pursuing advanced degrees in the United States.
Arshad invited fellow NEDians and friends to sponsor any of these undertakings by contacting any of the members of the board of directors for further information. He introduced them to the audience. The members of the BOD are Mansoor Khan, Syed Shariq Raza, Zaid Ahmed, Farhat Siddiqi, Moqueem Ansari, Iqbal Ahmed, Naim Siddiqui, Ahmed Ali and Arif Mansuri.
NEDAASC’s Founding President and also the Founding Chairman of NED Alumni International Network of North America (NEDIAN-NA), an umbrella organization, Mr. Ahmed Ali also addressed the august gathering and provided an update of the activities at the national and international stage. He mentioned the setting up of NED ALEF (Alumni Endowment Fund) that was unanimously approved by the attendees of the conference. The unanimous approval of NED ALEF demonstrates the desire and enthusiasm of the Alumni to see progress at their Alma Mater despite the fact that this is a big commitment for all of us. Over $20,000 were committed as seed money for this project.
Ahmed asked NED alums to help NEDUET by joining the alumni association and working with the University to make the lifetime alumni membership dues to $250. He mentioned that the Alumni Association helps you connect with your classmates while helping the institution with your contributions.
By this time the crowd was ready for the entertaining keynote speech of the most beloved NEDian of the NED Alumni residing in Southern California, Mr. Ashraf Habibullah. Ashraf, dressed in one of his three personalized CSI lighted jackets and his signature hat, did not disappoint anybody. As he spoke, the audience listened, laughed, and enjoyed themselves. His speech was the best part of the evening. When he challenged the crowd to match his contribution for the scholarship fund, his challenge was not only quickly matched by the crowd but surpassed by a significant margin.
The fundraising efforts were handled by Shariq Raza and Mansoor Khan. It was an amazing sight to see guests who did not even know anything about NEDUET pledge their contribution for the noble cause. Nasir Javed, a non-NEDian, offered to donate one thousand dollars towards the fund if Ashraf Habibullah would sing his favorite song of Mohammad Rafi; Ashraf obliged and sang the song.
After this fast moving portion of the evening time came for the audience to enjoy the delicious food catered by NEDian Tahir Khan of Moghal Tandoori Restaurant. There was an amazing ambience among the audience who seemed to be greatly enjoying themselves. Now it was time to listen to “Noor Jehan of the United States” profusely loved by Pakistani Americans and greatly adored by the Pakistanis in Pakistan. This American was none other than Janice Miller. To their delight the audience clapped as she sang popular songs. A few could not resist themselves and danced. The evening of fun and entertainment went beyond midnight and created memories for all of us to cherish for the rest of our lives.
InshaAllah the NEDians and their friends will meet again in 2013 for another one of our fun-filled gatherings in Southern California.
(NEDAASC past presidents Dr. Farhat Siddiqi and Ahmed Ali contributed to this article)
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