42 Effat University students graduate JEDDAH: The graduation of 42 students took place at Effat University here, Saturday. The special guests at the ceremony were US Ambassador James B. Smith, Dr. Samir Al-Tubayyeb, Vice President of Employee Relations and Training Saudi Aramco, and Dr. Kristina Johnson, former Dean of Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, USA. The auditorium was packed with family and friends of the students, including proud fathers, brothers and husbands who sat in a divided male section. There was an impressive procession of all the faculty members and graduating students, led by girls carrying the Effat and Saudi flags, and with the President of the University Dr. Haifa Rida Jamal Al-Lail leading the academics. The atmosphere in the hall was very festive with laser lighting casting patterns on the stage. As the graduating students arrived in the hall, they were given an enthusiastic cheer by their fellow students and guests. Following the speeches by the president and special guests, degrees were presented to the students by Princess Luluah Al-Faisal,Vice Chair of Effat University Board of Founders and Board of Trustees as well as the General Supervisor of the university. Of particular note on this occasion were four students who have graduated with degrees in engineering. They are the first girls in Saudi Arabia to have achieved this. Ambassador James B. Smith paid homage to the progress that has been made in the Kingdom with regard to women's education: “I offer the congratulations of President Obama and the American people for a job well done. Yours is a tremendous achievement. You live in a fortunate generation. You have been given a tremendous opportunity. First, by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for his deep commitment to women in Saudi Arabia. Second, you represent the product of a life's vision that began with King Faisal and Queen Effat, and continues to this day under the unceasing efforts of Princess Luluah, and the Faisal and Effat families to ensure women in the Kingdom receive the best education the world can offer. We stand today in the shadow of greatness…and you are the product of that great vision. We should always be mindful of those who went before us and marked the path for the rest of us to follow.”
