Dear Fellow Stephanians,

Welcome to the new webpage and interactive portal of the Alumni Association of St. Stephen’s College!

As one thinks of the importance of Alumni Association today, one asks oneself:  What do I have in common with the Class of 2022? Very little, and yet so much! We do not share teachers, friends or experiences. They don’t sing the songs I sang in college or watch the movies I watched. Yet, they stay in the same residence, study in the same classrooms, walk the same hallways and are proud inheritors of the same coveted name—Stephanian. The five-pointed star in martyr’s red and Cambridge blue means a lot to me—and to them too, I would like to think.

Some people tend to believe that traditions weigh you down. But you could not be further from the mark. I’ll tell you why: while money can buy many things, there are some things no purse can afford. And one of them is pedigree, and I use the term in a specific context. Every Stephanian irrespective of region, religion, caste and gender is an inheritor of this pedigree which guarantees access to an amazing campus, a very special brand of education and an alumni network unmatched in India. I did not find these things elsewhere, and neither will you. Those who went before us did it and we benefited. I would like to think that all of us have contributed to burnishing this brand in some way. So, traditions are part of the brand, and must be preserved as they are the bridge between the batches. I remember coming to college and being surprised by the change in the winter uniform of the gyps. A neatly dressed gyp always inspired me to turn out neatly for meals. It is not about a coat and a pair of trousers; it is about an attitude to life. Going forward, I would want the college and Stephanians to be future-ready while being rooted. 

Regarding the Alumni Association, I am proud of our journey so far. Many of us are within the network, but a few of us are outside. Perhaps, those of us who are already here could take the initiative and bring them into the fellowship. In good times and bad ones, let us be there for one another. St Stephen’s College is not just a place you go to, it is a place you go from.

May this website portal become an integral part of this journey of ours in years to come.

Philip Mathew

5th January, 2023