CHICAGO: The Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago (PCS) celebrated its sixteenth annual “Punjabi Youth Graduation and Scholarships Awards Night” on Sunday, June 12 at Viceroy of India Banquets, Lombard, a suburb of Chicago. More than 250 community members attended.
The program started with a moment of silence to remember the victims of the worst mass shooting in US history that happened in a night club in Orlando Florida where 50 people were gunned down and another 53 injured, some critically.
PCS President Gurmit Singh Dhillon welcomed the guests. The function was organized, run and emceed by PCS officials and volunteers.
Dr. Vinay Kumar, Professor and Chairman Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, gave a short and sweet Keynote address to the graduates and others in attendance who were visibly impressed.
“Four years will have a profound impact on your future so how you spend and utilize them is very important,” said Dr Vinay Kumar addressing the graduates.” Freshman year is the most important year of your college. Don’t limit yourself, broaden your horizons. Don’t be in competition with someone else but yourself in becoming better every day. Keep your eyes on the prize. Remove the word impossible from your dictionary, because that is only a limitation of your imagination. I urge you to believe that nothing is impossible.”
Jasleen Kaur Saini, graduate of Wheeling High School won the PCS Scholarship this year. The scholarship and the event was sponsored by Mohina Ahluwalia in the memory of Diljit Singh Ahluwalia; by Dr. Diljeet Kaur Singh, Karamjeet Kaur Singh, Ranjeet Kaur Singh in the fond memory of their father Dr. Pritam Singh; by Dr. Surjit Singh Patheja; by Harinder Singh M.I.T.S.; Harkewal Singh Lally; Dr. Amarjit Singh for Sikh Outreach Society; Jasbir Singh Bhalla; Bikram Singh Sohi, Surinder Kumar Jain Viceroy of India Banquets.
All the Punjabi class of 2016 graduates were honored and presented with certificates of accomplishment by Dr. Amarjit Singh. A cake cutting ceremony by the graduates was held to honor and celebrate their graduation.
Indian cuisine appetizers and sumptuous dinner was served. All the participants, young and old relished the food and danced to the Bhangra DJ music as a typical Punjabi family. The participants of “Rangla Punjab 2016,” a PCS Annual Vaisakhi cultural program that took place on April 23, 2016 received their appreciation awards.
The next PCS event is Basketball Tournament at “PCS Sports Festival 2016” in July, followed by “PCS Bhangra and Gidha Competition” and “Thanksgiving Day Parade” in November.
The Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago is an all volunteer, not-for-profit community service organization devoted to promoting Punjabi culture, language, performing arts, healthy life style and sports, education, and good citizenship in the metropolitan Chicago area and beyond.
Rajinder Singh Mago
