News >Access Cohort 15 Graduation Ceremony and Career Day

The Access Cohort 15 journey has come to an end! 

Despite the challenges they had faced over the previous 19 months, the students demonstrated a high level of potential and motivation, making them a particularly exceptional cohort. The COVID outbreak, the protests, and the country's socioeconomic and political unrest did not deter them but instead pushed them to finish their two-year course of study.

On October 23 and November 6, 2022, TFL honored the Access 15 cohort at a graduation ceremony that took place at LAU Jbeil and LAU Beirut respectively, with each event grouping nearly half of the students.

Prior to the closing graduation ceremony, students attended Career Day, which was the closure of the personal development plan that Access Cohort 15 students had been experiencing since the beginning of the program. During Career Day, the students attended three sessions covering an introduction to different careers, as well as US-related university applications and scholarship opportunities. After the sessions, Access students met experts from different fields of work to learn more about their professions. Some examples of the sessions were public health, medicine, sciences, nursing, education, computer science, audiovisual arts, law, and marketing communications. 

The Career Day was followed by the Closing Ceremony which hosted the students from the Access centers, their teachers, school principals, and supervisors, in the presence of officials from the US Embassy. 

After playing the national anthems of Lebanon and the USA, TFL Interim CEO, Mr. George El Assad, addressed the graduating students before giving the floor to US Embassy officials for the keynote speech: Ms. Melissa O’Shaughnessy, Public Affairs Officer, on October 23rd, and Ms. Sarah Blake, Consular Officer, on November 6th. In addition, Ms. Nancy Rizk, Public Affairs Assistant at the US Embassy Beirut, introduced the students to their new alumni status opportunities. The ceremony closed with a sign-off word from the Access Program Coordinator at TFL, Ms. Manar Hammoud. In addition, a two-minute video was displayed showing the great milestones that Access Cohort 15 students achieved during the program. 

Lending their extra pairs of hands to the team were numerous TFL staff who joined as volunteers bent on contributing to making the event a success, and offering their expertise. 

We are very proud of the students’ outstanding efforts and achievements and would like to welcome them as members of our Access Alumni group. 

Congratulations on your well-deserved success!

Our sincere gratitude to the US Embassy for its sponsorship and support of the Access program.

Here are some testimonials from Career Day

“Career day was one of the most eye-opening sessions I had in this program, I learned how to evaluate my options as to what to study in the University. Moreover, as I heard from several students and not just my own experience, the sessions we attended were motivational, and introduced students to new career options they did not know exist.” - Miriam Hissi, Access Student in Al-Abbasieh High School.

“The activities carried on this day and the trainings made it crystal clear for every student of what the choices that work for them based on the desires, benefits and geographical location.” - Rima Sleem, Access Teacher in Hassan Kamel Al Sabbah High School, Al-Nabatiyeh.

“The Career Day was a high value to both the students and myself. We learnt more about higher education and how to help our students pave their way to a successful future. The sessions were interactive and inspiring. The graduation was filled with laughter and cheers concluding with the speakers and their insightful speeches. I’m concise, the ceremony was the last in the Program but the first door to limitless opportunities.” - Hanaa Hana, Access Teacher at Ghazir 2, Mount Lebanon.