 You can stand for it. You can stand for it. You can stand for it. The Chancellor of the American University of Sharershaw, and the Governor of the University of Jefferson, is here tonight as his driver to China. He asked that I extend his best wishes and congratulations to each of our outstanding students. Let me begin this evening's ceremony by introducing the members of the stage quality. I ask that you stand as I announce Dr. York White, Dean of the School of Business Administration, and Richard Schuferschen, Dean of the College of Engineering, Dr. Rath Moon, Anna Taube, Kevin Mitchell, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Sciences, and Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, Ms. Linda Ataya, the Registrar. Dr. Martin Deeson, our guest speaker, whom I will introduce momentarily. Dr. Deeson is also here on behalf of Dr. Marky Collard Mitchell, Dean of the College of Architecture and Design. The enormous amount of working coordination, I would specifically like to thank the Registrar, Linda Ataya, and her colleagues in the Office of the Registrar for the kind work and organizing the honors convocation. Please join me, also, please welcome my other colleagues here on the stage, Chief Operating Officer, Dean Ataya, Associate Dean, as well as the heads of the academic departments of the University, Richard Schuferschen, and as a particular honor, I would like to thank our team of students and our team of students and the faculty, staff of the University of Schuferschen, who have come to celebrate with the students as they see recognition this year. Let us thank them. Most importantly, I would like to introduce the students who we honor to introduce and the Provost of Chief Academic Officer has. Recognition of our students is the most important work. The two annual commencement programs that occur at the conclusion of fall and spring semesters are the most important events of the academic year. So, we are honored that you are with us this evening. It's my pleasure now to introduce to you our guest speaker, Dr. Martin Piecen. Thanks, Dr. Piecen. You think of media like you have something larger than a single individual. You think of this institution. Dr. Piecen has been at the American University of Sharifah since January 1, 1998. The dean of this university's School of Architecture and Design, which is now known as the College of Architecture and Art and Design. Born in school in Germany, he urges PhD at Heidelberg University and then later interned at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on New York. He has taught in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Canada, and most recently here at the American University of Sharifah. For 30 years, Dr. Piecen has produced an exhibit of watercolor paintings documenting the impact of development on the human environment. His work has been shown in exhibits in Lebanon, Germany, Canada. Dr. Piecen this evening will give us some reflections on the role of the professor and, in particular, the importance of being a mentor. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Piecen to the podium. Our students, your parents, your guests, your colleagues in this global enterprise call the American University of Sharifah. Today is Thursday and usually on Thursday evening I have a tennis date with the University Library and when I express to her a regret that I wouldn't be playing tonight she told me that this event is her most favorite event because she is together the smartest students and when she did something interesting she made a gesture and pointed to imaginary students and said, library, library, library she recognized among the smartest students the most faithful clients of the university library. Can you sense in this room the noise of energy colliding? That's the practical of the smarts. But let's put this aside for a minute and ask what brought you where you are today? Were you born with a higher IQ than someone else? Did you work harder than mothers? Did your mother read to you when you were an infant? Did your father give you a good price? I remember my dad and the youngest of three siblings and when we got up from the dinner table he always said don't go empty handed so this way all three of us could take the dishes from the table to the kitchen it has taught me efficiency and multi-tasking don't go empty handed Did someone tell you when you fell in love with a guy or a girl observe how he treats his sister because that is the way he will treat you in the future Did your cousin help you to lower the bicycle seat so it was easier to stop when you learned how to ride a bike? Did someone in your family pay attention to nutritious food? My eldest grandson and our 15 kids vegetables my daughter who has children has taught me how to tackle this when her kids come home hungry for food or playground there's a plate ready they cut vegetables and fruit and they devour it their first hunger and now they eat everything Did someone in your life engage you in questions that have no easy answers with different answers? Did someone help you to be comfortable talking in public? In my large enrollment course of 240 students I walk around with this lapel mic and I address students and I tell them that one of the objectives of our education is to make them comfortable in all communication it takes a lot of encouragement and opportunity to do that but again, my father was a role model there because at the dinner table he would entertain us children he would sometimes ask us to make an impromptu speech talk about their life talk about the scissors one minute, go my sister helped you Did someone help you learn to drive and put on the seatbelt before starting the education and I'm now doing it in relief tonight was a teacher in the school someone who would write a meaningful critique in her assessment a critique that you have never forgotten an assessment that you still feel was right be a friend at school courage to tell you that overall hygiene is important combat handitosis and then maybe Google with you the meaning of that word how did you get to be where you are how come you are one who is honored here today who assisted you in language I would like to ask all of our honor students here how many of you have English as a native language as a mother tongue raise your hand look at this there may be 20 95% are working in a new language who helped you to become fluent in this mentors and mentoring that is what this little talk is all about you probably have all heard of Odysseus may or may not know about him he thought in that he didn't know how long he was going to be away from home and he put in place someone to take care the fathers of the education of his son and that man was a mentor that gave us the name for that particular word of a trusted friend and advisor a teacher do you know how long he was gone 20 years 10 years fighting the war and 10 years fighting his way back a lot of mentoring had to be done in the meantime and mentors come in many guys they come as parents they come as sisters cousins and friends and aunts and teachers they come as librarians and coaches as sponsors and tutors and masters in the Odyssey Athena, the lord of Athena appears as a mentor and I am not too shy to say that I also wish that God would be my mentor sometime but this evening is about you honor students and your future as mentors because I call on you to pass on the gifts that have blessed you to your younger peers become advisors trusted experience to help those that follow you to optimize their educational experience to assist them to socialize into a culture of your disability to give emotional and moral support to give feedback on performance and to moral self-identity living the life of a student in exemplary fashion I thank you for the opportunity to talk to you about mentoring and ask you all to join me in applauding our honor students and future mentors. Now does that want to make you come back to university? Let's give them another round of applause. Thank you so much Dr. Heason for those remarks reminding us that there's so many people in one's life who can serve as mentors Thank you The American University of Sharjah is a very special university It's a testament to the vision of its behind-the-shakes Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al-Qasembi a member of the UAE Supreme Council the ruler of Sharjah President of the American University of Sharjah and founder of this university This university is very rigorous, academic yet it's much more The American University of Sharjah is an intellectual power It's a place that encourages students to see the world little did you know that when you first arrived on campus the challenges you would face you quickly understood and embraced them your dedication has gone through and distinguished you from your peers Each of you has talent your hard work commitment and perseverance, however have enabled you to rise to the top Your discipline and focus and balancing time between academic and extracurricular activities are no doubt important ingredients in attaining success No person can do this alone Along the way as Dr. Deeson reminded us your parents and other family members have been a source of guidance and care They have made sure through their own hard work and sacrifices that you were given the opportunity to attend the American University of Sharjah and that you could succeed in your university education Besides your parents there are members of faculty They have been your instructors and mentors They have provided you with knowledge and tools to reach your goals When you succeed the faculty succeeds The AUS staff has been significant in its contribution to your accomplishments and success as well Honors Convocation 2017 is a very special evening It recognizes you and your accomplishments and it makes us all proud of the proven excellence of you as students of AUS I would like to extend my personal congratulations to you on your success and I would also like to congratulate your families relatives and friends Thank you very much for your presentation Tonight we are celebrating the academic attainment of 411 students into the Chancellor's List which is the highest academic attainment a student at AUS can achieve It's nice isn't it? That's okay Recognition of the Chancellor's List A student must admit the following requirements without how to turn the device off Name to the Dean's List in both the fall 2016 and spring 2017 semesters and have earned at least a 3.5 grade point average 2. Registered in a minimum of 15 credit hours each semester 3. Had no incomplete or failing grades in any course and 4 had no disciplinary action Alma Aasar from the Office of the Registered will now call the names of the Chancellor's List Aasar To co-defect scholarships to juniors and seniors and recognizes academic excellence leadership potential service to community demonstration of study and participation in extracurricular and university activities the scholarship is awarded with annual competition conducted within each college or school semester or until graduation requirements are completed as first provided that continuation conditions are met for the 2016 2017 school year the American University Charger is honoring four outstanding students with this award but as we saw our personal hearty congratulations to the specially honored students, Muhammad came in all the way from Barcelona to be with us today for the college that we are blessed this evening to have a special guest so let's see Mrs. Li Li Ling for Council General the People's Republic of China in Dubai thank you so much please join us for the reception outside of the building until the stage party exits the auditorium thank you so much