News >Access Opening Ceremony 2021

The opening ceremony for the 2021–2022 iteration of the English Access Microscholarship Program in Lebanon took place via Zoom on Sunday, April 25. Attendees included Access students and alumni; teachers; school administrators; parents; and representatives from Teach For Lebanon (TFL), the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, the U.S. Embassy in Amman, and the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) – all in all, over 400 people tuned in!

The ceremony opened with a word from Kristina Hayden, public affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, followed by speeches from Salyne El Samarani, TFL’s CEO, and Dr. Fadi Yarak, MEHE’s director general. Then came testimonials from Access alumni (Wael Riman, Cohort 6; Mirna Ghemrawi, Cohort 5; Lara Mada, Cohort 5; Matthew Francis, Cohort 2; Eliane Aoun, Cohort 3) on their experiences of the program and their personal, academic, and professional journeys since graduating. Next George El Assad, Access Program director, spoke as well. At this point Access students memorialized the event by turning on their cameras and proudly displaying their Access certificates for group screenshots. 

Near the end of the ceremony, Eran Williams, regional English language officer at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, remarked upon the value of the Access program’s two main components, English language training, and personal development, and addressed words of encouragement and praise to the students. Finally the floor was opened to Access students and teachers to express themselves freely, and the joy, pride, and enthusiasm they shared were an inspiration to us all.

We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated in or attended the opening ceremony. In particular, we’d like to thank the United States Embassy in Beirut and Access for their unwavering support. And last but not least, congratulations to all Access students!