Tony Tom, who is currently an engineer at Perleybrook, belongs to the 2015 batch of CEC. He remembers what CEC meant to him. In his own words:
Tony Tom-CEC-2015
From a boy to a man
September 1, 2011. 9 AM, Chengannur.
Random colors. Seniors welcoming juniors with joy and pride. All new students assembled in the main auditorium. Almost everyone is a new face. Parents holding hands, saying indirectly from their mind, here starts your life.
When walking through the corridors of CEC for the first time, I never thought this is where I learn how to live. I always knew college was like a roller coaster ride. I was prepared for that. But CEC was something more than a ride. CEC made me what I am now.
If I’m writing this with confidence that my life is where I wanted it to be, that is what CEC gave me. I could go all day filling the list about CEC.
I walked into the college as a geeky one. Kind of an introvert as well. Just wanted to be a bookworm and calculate my life to heights. No more than that. CEC taught me how to dream. From the first week itself, I’ve had some feeling that it’s not about the books, but how you perform. I believe all the way my college had that aroma, where the seniors come in play. They motivate you at their best. One of the best things I’ve had from CEC. Connection with seniors. Guess what where it launched me, I’m now working in a company started by a first batch guy from CEC.
Yes, alumni come first of my list. I can’t emphasize more about this one. I’ve learned a lot from my alumni. And I’ve heard it before coming to the college. Everybody talking about CEC alumni when inquiring about the college. Take a look around, every top firm regardless the domain you’re looking on.
You want a job, you could ask around and find 50 jobs without any effort just saying you’re from CEC. You want an internship, ask around in alumni groups. You could land in one with no effort at all. The list goes on and on.
It was all about learning. I was a part of IEEE which is a professional organization for engineers during my college days. I would say it made me what I am today. From being an amateur, knowing nothing about being a professional to the man I am now. Though I’m not sure how I landed to be a part of IEEE, that too because of seniors who had my back I guess. Learning to be a professional and meeting more professionals. That’s the most important thing IEEE gave me in my career. One of the wonderful experiences I got from CEC. Every time I said to someone that I belonged to CEC, I needed no more introduction to them. Just that, “I’m from CEC”.
Being all that, I improved a lot and even came to be the Chairman of our IEEE chapter in college. For me it was IEEE, it’s just one of them. Every branch in CEC has an active forum to nurture the skills of students and let them nurture their skills. Forum for CSE, ECE, EEE
From early college days, I had my dream of being an entrepreneur. Since I started exploring my opportunities, I learned to dream big. I wanted my own company and was able to start one. There also the mentoring from CEC alumni boosted me a lot more than anything. Moreover, I could get anything I need in a snap. I just wanted to get in touch with any senior I could. Now there is even an entrepreneurship cell in CEC, backing students on their ventures.
From a boy who only knew what was in his books to a man who knew what to do with this life. This is what CEC gave me. Not just professionally, but strengthened me as a human. Taught me how to face my fears and overcome them. How to handle pressure through managing events in college. More than that a network with immense value than anything else. Like I said the list goes on.
Now I realize it’s my turn to give back to my alma mater. And I’m happily willing to do it. Most of the alumni come back to CEC. Everyone is ready to give a hand to another junior. This is what makes CEC unique.
Being in college, it’s superb. Being in a family, it’s awesome. CEC is a family.
