Sri Sathya Sai International Organization - USA

During the 100th birth year of our beloved Swami, the Sri Sathya Sai Center of Fairfax, VA, held a graduation ceremony on June 1, 2025, celebrating the journey and blossoming of its seven Sai Spiritual Education (SSE) graduates. The gurus (teachers) and seven students shared their stories of love, transformation and hope of new beginnings with families and friends, as well as SSE students moving to higher groups.

The gurus shared their stories about the graduating students, praising their growth and highlighting their strengths, while providing insightful advice for the future. The graduates metamorphosed over a long and, at times, meandering journey with the Sai family to grow into confident, perceptive, composed and loving young adults capable of making their own wise choices.

The graduates were urged to continue learning, have fun, and know what they stand for. The gurus reminded the graduates to “Let Swami be with you always. Remember the values. Make the right choices -  this is your compass - a framework to operate in this world.”

The graduates shared lessons learned and their myriads of journeys to Swami. Some journeys were years long, while others more recent, but all led to the same end destination in an embrace of Swami’s teachings. For many, it was a journey of education, learning, and development.

According to Sravya Tathicherla, 18, “SSE has had such a big impact on my life in every way possible. From the lessons of Swami’s five values to learning about different religions, I would be able to use all of His lessons in college. Now that I am away from home, Swami’s lessons have remained my moral compass when I deal with tough choices. Because I’ve been learning and instilled with good values since I was young through SSE, I feel like I’m well equipped with building genuine relationships with others, staying positive, and being grounded in my values.”

Looking back, she noted that the most transformational lesson that she learned in SSE was to surrender to Swami. ”It has made me more confident in the decisions I make for myself. I used to be indecisive, but after practicing surrendering, it’s been much easier to make decisions because I know Swami is making the decision though me and for me.”

Another student, Sanjana Krishna, 18, stated that “I was a part of SSE for 10 years and it was a wonderful experience and it played an important role in my life. One of the most important things that I learned was the true importance of character. Character is the foundation of everything we do. It directly impacts the decisions we make, the words we speak, and the actions we take. After graduating, I feel very grateful for being able to have had this experience and carry the lessons and values I have gained in SSE into my college life. I am able to be one with my inner conscience and see divinity in others. I hope to continue to grow as a forever Swami student through every word I speak and every action I perform.” 

For others like Abhinav Maddala, 18, the end of his SSE education represented the defining moment for his true character. Siddharth Butna, 18, affirmed that he will “carry this experience” for the rest of his life. “ 

The graduation ceremony ended by celebrating students from the other groups. Well-deserved certificates were presented by the teachers (gurus) to the students for their continued growth and learning. A parent stated that the graduation was about “providing a moral compass to enable new beginnings,” a perfect summary for all of the student’s experiences.