By Tendar Tsering

DHARAMSHALA, May 6: The Education Department of Central Tibetan Administration yesterday held a daylong college orientation programme for class 12 graduate students in Dharamshala.

Tibetan students from the Tibetan Children Village Schools, Tibetan Homes Foundation, Sambhota Tibetan Schools as well as Central School for Tibetans participated in the orientation.

“This is the 8th college orientation for class XII graduates, and this time, around 140 Tibetan students from all parts of India have come to participate,” Dolker Wangmo, head of the Career Counseling Section at the Education Department said.

Apart from imparting information about scholarship and college admissions, Tibetan professionals working in Dharamshala were invited to share their experiences and expertise with the students.

Presiding over the inaugural function, Topgyal Tsering, Additional Secretary of the Education Department, reminded the students that they were entering a “new chapter” in their lives while urging the students to act as Tibetan ambassadors in their respective college.

“In your respective colleges and universities you must remember that you are also the representatives and ambassadors of Tibet,” Tsering said.

Tibetan professionals who spoke at the orientation included, Dr Chok Monlam Peltsok, Gyaltsen, Tenzin Lekshay, and Tendar Tsering, reporter for Phayul among others.

The professionals spoke on topics ranging from the relevance of studying Tibetan language in today’s world to journalism and from computer education, law, psychology, and social Work to serving the Central Tibetan Administration.

Speaking to Phayul at the end of the orientation, a student said that the programme has taught him to choose his profession based on his passion.

“Listening to all those professionals, I am now certain that I must choose my career based on what I am passionate about,” the student said.

Scholarship application forms and sample college admission forms were also distributed to the students at the orientation programme.