Fairfax, Virginia: Virginia International University’s 2007 commencement ceremony was held with great success on May 25, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. More than 200 honorees, family members, and friends attended the event including several ambassadors, embassy representatives, Supervisor Gerald Connolly (Chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors) and Delegate David Bulova (Virginia State Assembly). According to Dr. Isa Sarac, the founder and president of Virginia International University, “Commencement was a beautiful evening in every way. We couldn’t be more proud of our students, who have worked so hard and accomplished so much”.
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From left to right: Dr. Necmi Mutlu (VIU Computer Science Chair), Dr. Thomas R. Morris (Secretary of Education, Commonwealth of Virginia), Dr. K. Habib Khan (VIU Provost) and Dr. Isa Sarac (VIU President) share a moment at Virginia International University’s 2007 Commencement on May 25.   Dean of Students Hasan Burk served as Grand Marshall at Virginia International University’s 2007 commencement on May 25. Here, Dean Burk leads the students in carrying VIU’s symbolic Book of Knowledge. Graduates of Virginia International University’s Business Programs Department await their degree conferral at the university’s commencement ceremony at the Country Club of Fairfax on May 25.

Thirty-eight academic students who completed the university’s business and computer science programs were awarded diplomas and certificates at the ceremony. An additional 30 English as a Second Language students also received certificates of completion. Says VIU graduate Badamsukh Yaedamsuren, who is from Mongolia and who was awarded the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, “It meant so much to me to participate in the commencement ceremony. I was unbelievably thrilled when I heard my name called and I got to walk across the stage and receive my diploma. My dream had finally come true.”
            Dr. Thomas R. Morris, Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia delivered the commencement address and stressed the importance for graduates to have a social conscience. Secretary Morris urged the honorees to commit to a lifetime of volunteerism, to seek ways to serve others throughout their lives, and to develop a vision for the future to guide them. He added that Virginia International University is a small start-up university today but that he believes it has the potential to become a major player in the future. Ajaz Siddique, Vice President of United Central Bank also participated in the commencement ceremony by awarding a $5,000 check on behalf of his bank to VIU to establish the James Yoo Scholarship.

Virginia International University graduates celebrated at the university’s 2007 commencement exercises on May 25 at the Country Club of Fairfax. 		This scholarship, named for the founder and president of United Central Bank, will be awarded to deserving Virginia International University students on the basis of their academic performance and potential. According to Dr. K. Habib Khan, VIU’s Provost, “Virginia International University students will benefit tremendously from this new scholarship. We are absolutely delighted to receive support from friends in the community like United Central Bank who care as deeply as we do about educating tomorrow’s leaders. We are particularly grateful to Nassarullah Khan, Senior Executive Vice President and Regional Manager of United Central Bank, who played an instrumental role in establishing the James Yoo Scholarship at Virginia International University”.
A number of guests at VIU’s May 25th commencement came from abroad especially to see a loved one graduate. Lizbeth Feliz, an MBA graduate from the Dominican Republic, was especially happy to have her parents at the commencement. Says Feliz, “The look on my mother’s face that night made it all worthwhile”. Provost Khan adds, “Commencement is the culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work. Our graduates and their families were beaming and together, we shared one shining, perfect moment together. It was a night none of us will ever forget”. A number of guests at VIU’s May 25th commencement came from abroad especially to see a loved one graduate. Lizbeth Feliz, an MBA graduate from the Dominican Republic, was especially happy to have her parents at the commencement. Says Feliz, “The look on my mother’s face that night made it all worthwhile”. Provost Khan adds, “Commencement is the culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work. Our graduates and their families were beaming and together, we shared one shining, perfect moment together. It was a night none of us will ever forget”.