New Delhi, 1st August 2024: Athena Education marked a momentous evening on July 27th, 2024, with the celebration of Grad Gala ‘24 at The Oberoi, Gurgaon. This year’s event not only honored the outgoing graduating seniors but also celebrated Athena’s 10th year of nurturing some of the brightest young minds in the country.
As part of Athena’s cherished tradition, the ceremony celebrated the accomplishments of over 150 graduating students, with over 900 acceptances in 2024. With Athena’s students headed to top universities of the world, including Oxford, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Penn, and many more, this is their largest and most illustrious batch to date. Adorned in shimmering gowns and sleek tuxedos, the exuberance of these young adults was a testament to their bright future as emerging leaders.
These remarkable students have achieved extraordinary feats over the past few years. For instance, Anshi Aggarwal, a rising freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, is the founder of Project Red, through which she has engineered an innovative pad vending machine and expanded access to menstrual hygiene to over 10,000 women in India’s rural areas. With such accomplished projects and initiatives, the achievements of these students rival that of seasoned professionals.
Athena alumni and current scholars were also invited to the event, alongside the distinguished Athena parent community. One might have mistaken this gathering of successful founders, CXOs and top executives for a premium networking event. But tonight, they were nothing but proud parents, celebrating their children’s success!
The evening commenced with a lively game of human bingo, followed by a hilarious roasting session targeting Athena scholars. Two Athena students, Ujjwal Rastogi (Incoming freshman at the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher M&T Program) and Simran Kaur Dang (Incoming Freshman at Johns Hopkins University) shared their journeys, offering invaluable insights, before the ceremony concluded with words of wisdom from Mr. Rahul Subramaniam, Co-founder of Athena Education and a Princeton University graduate.
Another highlight was the unveiling of Athena’s first book, featuring successful essays written by Athena scholars that have secured admissions to the Ivy League and other top universities worldwide. Published in collaboration with Penguin, this book will soon be available in stores nationwide, aiming to guide high school students in crafting insightful and impactful college application essays.
As the night drew to a close, the hearty dinner and bustling conversations gave way to heartfelt goodbyes between students and their counselors. With the students set to travel abroad soon to commence their undergraduate studies, this event marked the last time they would see their mentors until next summer’s Grad Gala, where they will return as proud alumni, ready to guide and inspire the next batch of graduating seniors.