At the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, Ham Serunjogi – CEO and co-founder of African fintech giant Chipper Cash – realised the importance of staying connected to something larger than himself. The Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree is now serving as an advisor to the US President on African diaspora engagement.
Eshwari Ramsali (Class of 2018) - fusing art and ideology
“Honestly, it still hasn’t hit me that I get to go to the college of my dreams,” she said. “It’s so surreal.”
Two years ago Eshwari wrote an entrance assessment test at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad but was not sure if she would be able to join.
“I was dismayed because I loved the concept of an IB education,” she said. “The Academy made it possible for me to be here.”
Eshwari joined the Academy in 2016 and used every opportunity to learn and to express herself, diving into visual arts and global politics courses. She attributes a lot of her personal and intellectual growth to the discussions she had in her Theory of Knowledge (ToK) class.
“It upsets me that I will never have another ToK class,” she mused.
After her creativity, activity, service (CAS) summer internship in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Eshwari stayed on to do an internship at a film production house, working in production and postproduction on documentary films.
“I like to call it the summer I became a feminist,” she said. “Feminism, for me is a social movement whose success lies in providing equal opportunities for all sexes and genders.”
For Eshwari, it is natural for film and feminism to go together. She describes art and politics as her academic crushes and appreciates the IB for having the accoutrements that allow for interdisciplinary approach to learning. Her extended essay combined visual arts and global politics to write a compelling piece on freedom of expression and art activism. Eshwari’s display at the 2018 Diploma Programme Visual Arts Exhibition also espoused the mingling of subjects, presenting work with powerful feminist overtones.
“Eshwari has exemplary artistic calibre,” said Senior School art teacher, Vijayraghavan Srinivasan. “She has a meta-narrative quality in her pictorial composition which captures recollecting past memories and incidents, fusing them with self-discovery."
The DP Visual Arts Exhibition is a red letter day for Senior students and they work long hours to see it come to life.
“Personally explaining my art and concepts to viewers and seeing realisation dawn on their faces was incredibly rewarding,” Eshwari said. “The exhibition was so important for so many different reasons, and being a part of it with some of the most talented students of the Academy made me happy.”
Eshwari remembers not being confident about her decision to join the arts programme at the Academy, but she’s pleased that she did. Through the programme, Eshwari got to work with professional artists and sculptors, and also discovered artists and filmmakers whose work inspires her and helps her identify herself. Vijayraghavan describes her artwork as insightful and contemplative, and also explorative.
Though she is an exceptional artist, Eshwari wants to study political science so she can pursue a career as a humanitarian lawyer or work in development. She intends on taking courses in art history, so that she can seamlessly step back into the art world, should the opportunity arise.
“The idea of being intellectually stimulated even well into my 50s really excites me.”
Somewhere between learning about the IB and her last ToK class, Eshwari fell in love with the Academy.
“I love that my classes are filled with students from all parts of the country,” she said, “irrespective of their financial standing or cultural background. I strongly believe it helps build our vision of pluralism.”
We wish her and all the rest of the Class of 2018 the best of luck in all their future endeavors!
Samson Suhas – swimming to a better life
“I came to this school searching for better opportunities and better facilities through which I can improve in sports and excel in music and studies,” says Samson. “I didn’t have these opportunities in my previous school and didn’t get a chance to play any sport.”
Samson Suhas Srungarapti, a grade 10 student at the Academy and a professional swimmer, represented Rangareddy district at the 2nd Telangana State Winter Aquatic Championship held in Khammam district in December 2016. He came away with the bronze medal in 100mts free style and a renewed desire to participate in not just regional, but national swimming tournaments. This was the first time he had participated in a state tournament.“I want to be an Olympic swimmer. I want to win medals in Olympics for India. And alternatively, I love music and would like to be a music director or a music teacher in the future,” expresses Samson, who trains at the Academy pool for four hours a day when school is on, and six during holidays. “My father is my coach and my role model. He is my inspiration for choosing sports as my career. Without his support and commitment, I wouldn’t have achieved as much as I have in my swimming career from when I started in December 2015 till today.”
Samson has joined a swimming club for extra support and to get his know his competition better. When he is not training, he enjoys playing football with his peers, and remembers the moment the school team won the interschool football tournament as one of the most rewarding experiences at school. His favourite subject is Mathematics, because he loves the challenge of solving a tough problem. Besides swimming, music is his other great love.
“I find the Aga Khan Academy very balanced in giving opportunities for students to develop their skills in academics as well as sports, and that is the most unique thing about this school.”
Samson feels confident of participating at a national level in 2017, and determined to continue working hard on his speed, endurance, and agility even if it involves longer training hours. He has his eyes set on the international swimming circuit, and we wish him all the very best!
Master debater Aryan Srivastava of grade 11 spearheads MUN team
What’s next for our expert debater? “I really want to get into law and politics,” answers Aryan. “I think MUN has prepared me a lot for that. Plus, I’m passionate about world events.”
Anahita Aman (Class of 2020): building on her Academy experiences to pursue International Development
Anahita Aman, a graduate of the batch of 2020 was here at the academy for 8 years. Currently pursuing History at University College London, she hopes to build a career in International Development.
Having spent her fundamental years at the Academy, Anahita credits the Academy for shaping her into who she is today, not just as a person, but in her interests and career choices as well. Anahita lived in the residences, and she majorly misses that feeling of knowing everyone and the close-knit community here, “which is hard to find in college when you are an international student in a different country” she expressed.
Anahita is currently preparing to pursue International Development as her career and the opportunities provided in school in terms of CAS (creativity, activity, service), and the internship programme at the time which felt like requirements, actually strengthened her application. She believes that the IB is more helpful than we assume it to be, as it instigates a voice inside you that you don’t get in the other curriculums which are a lot to do with mugging up. Anahita proclaims, “Even though you are working in criteria and a certain structure, you still have the space to express your viewpoint.”
The transition from school to university was one she found difficult “School does prepare you for all the writing and reading, but college just gets way more intense, the expectations are way higher, and in school, you have all these teachers who are constantly helping you and you can go sit with them but that kind of comfort is harder to find at university because it is a much larger community with thousands of students so comparatively school is a more close-knit community but university is daunting in that sense.”
The one experience that firmly stuck with Anahita was the Model United Nations (MUN). She served as the Secretary-General for AKAHMUN 2019-20. The MUN taught her a lot in terms of management, planning, communication, leadership and even finance as you work towards an event dealing with multiple stakeholders in the Academy. Known for her calm nature, Anahita was a completely different person in the MUN. She said “That was a fun thing, I never knew that side of me existed until I was put into the position. I didn’t know if I could do it but when you are in the atmosphere and put in that position I think some part of you just takes charge. That’s a new side of me that I saw, that boosted my confidence because I realised I could lead people if I needed to and it was a great thing.”
Anahita calls the Academy a second home, practically growing up there. She believes the IB, teachers, the residences, and her friends have helped and impacted her in more ways than one and have had a significant impact on who she is today.
Ariq Kapadia (Class of 2017): Using creative planning to make an impact
My time at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad has been a wonderful journey for me. I went through series of experiences that has made me what I am today. My friends, teachers and everyone around me had an integral part in shaping my life. I joined the Academy back in 2012 and the residence experience was completely new for me. I was frightened by the fact that now I must live away from my parents at such an early stage. This could typically be a nightmare for some students, but for me it was incredible – reflecting on my time there only makes me want to go back and relive my life at the Academy residences. Getting up for school, all the students racing for the washrooms only to win the chance to take the bath first. Planning out sports schedule in lunch breaks just to play a good soccer game after school. All this has been fun and amazing, and it has taught us students a way of life.
The Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad has been well known for years for their participation and success in soccer. Being an integral part of this team was a joyous and proud experience for me. I was selected for the team back in 2013 – at that time, our team had just started their dominance in the city while we were still preparing ourselves for other challenges at school. It was tough at first to balance sports and academics alongside other projects and activities; however, we slowly got acquainted with it. We used to plan out training times before and after school and commit ourselves to the sport. It helped me improve my punctuality and taught me a lot about time management. Soon after, I had the privilege of leading my U-16 team to the finals on home soil; unfortunately, we ended as runners-up, but the experience I gained while leading had brought some significant change in my behavior. I had grown a sense of responsibility and maturity – I had learned to be a leader. It did bring us trophies back to back for the next few years, but the true realisation for success came in 2016 when we got an opportunity to challenge teams at the national level. It was the first time a squad of eight students were sent for the TAISI tournament to represent the Academy. It was foremost the proudest moment of my life, standing alongside my teammates, ready to take up some of the best teams in India. Successfully, we won the tournament and brought the trophy back home, the first-ever away trophy that the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad has ever won. Achieving such feat has been overwhelming, but the values I have learned in this experience will remain within me and will shape my future.
Along with sports, I completed various projects at the Academy. As part of our IB [International Baccalaureate] requirement, we had to complete personal projects and Extended Essays in order to pursue our interest in researching about various things through variety of subjects under experienced supervision. Not only did these projects let us gain experience in detailed researching, but it also helped create awareness in specific regions. These projects were bounded with criteria, ranging from personal interest to benefits in society and impact on environment. It made us think about the different aspects and potential effects of our projects, and in turn adopt a broader approach to our research. My project was about city planning and making solar energy the primary source of energy. I aimed to create a small model that gives a better representation of my idea about proper city planning. It was my first time working with wires and solar cells. I had to learn to make a solar plant model and integrate it in the main model. It really was great fun, and I learned the importance of city planning to reduce space wastage and save energy by using alternate renewable sources of energy. My Extended Essay was based on my favorite topic: healthy food. I conducted chemical experiments on food to check the alteration of protein content in food when cooked or uncooked and when hot or cold. My aim was to understand the effect of temperature on food. It went well and it answered some questions I personally had as well. I used dangerous chemicals and chemical equipment throughout my Extended Essay. I improved my personal skills in areas such as communications and built confidence in my ability to work individually. I learned more about society and gained a variety of knowledge on environment preservation.
During my time at the Academy, I have developed skills and values from certain experiences, but it was my participation in Model United Nations (MUN) that had a significant effect on me. I started participating in MUN to enhance my verbal skills and improve my knowledge about events happening around me. Over a period, I swiftly transited to the logistics group. I realized that my ability to manage and plan were beneficial to these events. I was given a chance to assist the Under-Secretary-General of Logistics and soon after I claimed the title for myself. Through this experience, I improved my management skills, developed various approach to different problems and mastered problem-solving skills as a result. I was given the opportunity to lead the Academy’s first ever METROMUN Conference, which allowed students from various schools to participate. The challenge of managing other students was very beneficial to me as it has boosted my confidence in my management skills. Once I had experienced managing MUN, I sought more knowledge and experience in this area – this helped me get into a co-op programme where I am currently working on certain projects and managing project teams to get the best results.
Over the period of time I spent at the Academy, I applied a common skill to all the initiatives in which I took part: strategic planning and creativity. Whether it was sports, projects or MUN, I was fond of innovation and had always been busy with creating something with whatever I had around me. When we plan our strategies for a soccer game, I loved coming up with interesting formations which sometimes didn’t make much sense. I would never give up trying to find a better one, sometimes I would modify the existing one or would come up with something new. Similarly, in MUN, I would plan to change the setting or come up with a different style of conducting the conference. I always looked for alternatives for the existing ideas to make them better or search for a new one to improve efficiency. All these made me realise that engineering is what suits me well and my interest in aerospace and machines brought me to continue my studies in Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Henceforth, with such knowledge, I can pursue my dream of developing my home town and making India prosperous in terms of knowledge and technology and to help His Highness achieve his vision of eliminating poverty.
All this knowledge and these experiences have helped me get into the University of Waterloo. Studying at my dream university is a direct result of what I have accomplished through hard work, determination and focus. My friends and teachers at the Academy supported me throughout, and all the memories I have from there still teach me various things in life. The experience that I had in those five years at the Academy continues to develop me further and make me more capable of success. In my engagement with activities at the university, I have found that all the skills I learned at the Academy have prepared me to face the upcoming challenges.
When I look back to five years ago, I see a small kid, terrified and trying to surpass the ranks. However, now five years later, even though I am still trying to achieve my goals, I feel ambitious and determined, not scared but instead craving to prove myself. I have had a lot from the Academy and now I feel it is my time to give back to society to make this world a better place to live in.
By Ariq Kapadia
Meet the Faculty
Leadership Team |
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Head of Academy | Dr Jonathan Long |
Deputy Head of the Academy, Pastoral Care | Jeffrey Anthony Doerfler |
PA to Head of Academy | Vaishali Purohit |
Principal, Senior School | Koel Ray |
Principal, Junior School | Sreelatha Kumar |
Dean of Academics | Neeraja Nibhanupudi |
Dean of Students | Suresh Madhavan |
Head of Finance | Mukul Vashishatha |
Dean of Experiential Learning |
Vlad Gogelescu |
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Admissions |
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Dean of Admissions | Arjun Puri |
Manager, Admissions | Pramoditha Jamalpur |
Admissions cum Events Officer | Zareen Hashmi |
Senior School Faculty |
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Principal, Senior School | Koel Ray |
PA to Senior School Principal | Deepa Hitange |
Assistant to Dean of Students-cum-Student Life Coordinator | Nilesh Talaulicar |
Coordinators/Counsellors/SEN/Fellows | |
Academic Development Coordinator | Joanne Gogelescu |
Diploma Programme Coordinator | Sudipta Roy |
Associate Diploma Programme Coordinator | Dr Sujana Veeramachaneni |
Theory of Knowledge Coordinator | Sudeep Ghosh |
Creativity, Activity, Service Coordinator | Venkat Reddy |
Middle Years Programme (MYP) Coordinator | Meenakshi Joshi |
Head of Middle Years | Rajesh Kayiprath |
MYP Personal Project Coordinator | Chandrabhan Yadav |
TPP - Coordinator, Internship & Leadership | Pratibha Thimmaraya |
University Counsellor | Pragati Pandey |
Inclusive Education Coordinator (SEN) | Namrata Bhushan |
Extended Essay Coordinator | Vlad Gogelescu |
Creativity, Activity, Service Coordinator (CAS) | Venkat Reddy |
Science | |
Biology & Environmental Systems and Societies | Vinay Singh |
Environmental Systems & Societies / Integrated Sciences | Pratibha Thimmaraya |
Chemistry | Dr. SureshKumar Manthiriyappan |
Chemistry | Megha Saban |
Physics | Sudipta Kumar Roy |
Physics | Suhel Vakkal |
Physics | Sathish Gadarla |
Senior Lab Technician | Giribabu Kuna |
Lab Technician | Sudhakar Konapala |
Lab Technician | Smriti Mandal |
English | |
HOD, English | Gopika Jadeja |
English / ToK | Sudeep Ghosh |
English / ToK | Chandreyee Das Gupta |
English / MUN Coordinator | Saloni Chesney |
Mathematics | |
HOD, Mathematics | Tarun Seth |
Dean of Studies, Mathematics & ToK | Neeraja Nibhanupudi |
Mathematics Teacher Coach | Vani Vishwanath |
Mathematics | Subhashini Chandra |
Mathematics and MYP Personal Project Coordinator | Chandrabhan Yadav |
Mathematics | Santhosh Reddy |
Mathematics | Krishnendu Saha |
Mathematics | Usha Shivakumar |
Expressive Arts | |
HOD, Arts | Nandakumar P. K. |
Visual Arts | Meenakshi Joshi |
Visual Arts | Visweswara Rao Brahmanapalli |
Music | Chin-Yen Huang |
Theatre - Arts | Dr Chandrasekhar Indla |
Theatre - Arts | Subesh Poddar |
Languages | |
HOD, Hindi / Senior Tutor | Dr Karuna Arya |
Hindi / CAS Coordinator | Venkat Reddy |
Hindi | Dr Sunita Ghosh |
Hindi | Radhika Tiwari |
Hindi | Neetu Reddy |
Hindi | Dr Chandrakant Shinde |
Hindi | Sushmita Banerjee |
Telugu | Sai Krishna Ranga |
HOD, Foreign Languages | Manisha Deshbandhu |
French | Mopuru Raghu Rami Reddy |
Dari / Persian | Ahmed Ferozi |
Humanities (I&S) | |
HOD, Economics / ToK | Gaura Joshi |
Economics & MYP Coordinator | Rajesh Kayiprath |
Economics and Business Studies | Rahul Menon R |
MYP – I and S / History | Ritu Seth |
Global Politics / Extended Essay Coordinator | Vlad Gogelescu |
Geography | Joanne Gogelescu |
History/ToK | Koel Ray |
Individual & Societies | Aarushi Dutt |
Individuals & Societies / History | Sarmishtha Adhya |
Humanities | Afeera Maryam |
Economics/Humanities |
Suresh Madhavan |
ITGS & Design | |
Acting HOD | Koel Ray |
Design & Computer Science | Mehabunnisa |
ICT / ITGS | Surya Prakash Vemparala |
Design & Data Management | Veni Veeramachaneni |
Physical Education | |
HOD, Physical Education | Srungarapati Ravi Kumar |
Physical Education | Ramesh Kumar Kaliraman |
Swimming Assistant | Seena Remadevi |
Library |
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Head Librarian | Madhu Bhargava |
Librarian, Senior School | Shakeel Ahmed Khan |
Librarian, Junior School | Veena Bhat |
Learning Enrichment Team |
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HOD Learning Enrichment / English as an Additional Language (EAL) / Special Educational Needs (SEN), Gifted & Talented (G&T) | Susan Long |
SEN |
Namrata Bhushan |
EAL/SEN |
Morag Kallepu |
EAL |
Rema Vishwanath |
EAL |
Elizabeth Holden Eckel |
EAL |
Aarushi Dutt |
Learning Enrichment |
Faridah Lakhani |
Academic Support |
Amanda Khongwir |
Junior School Faculty |
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Principal, Junior School | Sreelatha Kumar |
PA to Junior School Principal | Shabana Awadiya |
Primary Years Programme (PYP) Coordinator | Abhimanyu Das Gupta |
Teachers | |
Day Care | Shwetha Emandi |
Grade 1A Home Room | Rhitesha Paul |
Grade 1A Co-Teacher | Neetu Chennuri |
Grade 1K Home Room | Madhulita Patnaik |
Grade 1K Co-Teacher | Simran Sinha |
Grade 2A Home Room | Mitu Sharma |
Grade 2A Co-Teacher | Laila Narsingani |
Grade 2K Home Room | Chetna Sharma |
Grade 2K Co-Teacher | Swati Kansal |
Grade 3A Home Room | Anjum Budhwani |
Grade 3K Home Room | Disha Kerkar |
Grade 4A Home Room | Lavanya Pavan Vadavalli |
Grade 4K Home Room | Vidhya Pallath |
Grade 5A Home Room | Sanjana Amarnani |
Grade 5K Home Room | Sheila D'Souza |
Hindi | Sushmita Banerjee |
Hindi | Meena Uniyal |
Telugu | Kasthuri Varanasi |
Telugu | Deepika Aluvala |
Visual Art | Florence James |
Music | December Lynn |
Physical Education | Vajravani Polavarapu |
Ajey Balaji: His Unflinching Love For Teaching French
Should you find yourself in the dining hall during lunchbreak, you would find Ajey walking ahead followed by a trail of grade 7 students. The convoy travels from Senior School like an excited atom with Ajey as its nucleus and orbiting around him are a bunch of recent Junior School graduates, all immersed in deep conversation. At their lunch table, students will sit flanking Ajey on either side and sharing key insights of the day.
Post lunch, the crew may take a couple of minutes to test if the tree outside the Commons is still sturdy enough to hold a few 7th graders. On a hot summer day, Ajey will join them at basecamp under the benevolent shade of the tree, deeply invested in both, the safety of the children and to see just how far they can go.
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Rajan Thampi: Working for a cause
Rajan has played this role of connecting students to resources for his entire career. His work with Aga Khan Education Services began in 2008 in Maheshwaram Mandal, present day Telangana, where he implemented outreach programs for government schools and anganwadis. Rajan was in charge of programs like introducing life skills to high schoolers, leading health programs for adolescent girls, organising inter school sports competitions, and also training teachers for pre-primary and primary schools. Rajan’s other responsibility at that time, something he is still involved in, is creating and maintaining relationships with government officials.
A significant part of outreach depends on securing permission and getting recognition from government education bodies. Rajan played a major role in getting junior and senior schools recognised by the authorities. Rajan thanks the people who support the outreach department in these endeavors - the Academies Unit and members of the local board, Suleiman Hirani and Jayanthi.
Born in Kerala, the second of five siblings, Rajan grew up in Shakkarnagar, Telangana. Shakkarnagar is home to historical industrial era sites built under the Nizam. Most significant among these sites is the 1,600 square kilometer Nizam Sugar Factory that the town gets its name from. Designed as a model town, the place was built for factory employees and their families. “My father was an accountant in the factory,” remembers Rajan, “and we use to live in the accommodation provided by the factory in its colony.” Madhu Malancha high school, where Rajan went, was also created and funded by the factory. But India’s sugar trade has been in decline for decades, and in his lifetime Rajan has had to see the closure and privatisation of the massive factory. “Asia’s largest sugar factory is now shut,” he muses.
After completing senior school, Rajan gained a Bachelors in Commerce and started teaching at a private school. Finding his calling, Rajan then pursued a Bachelors in Education, focusing on social studies and education. Today he also has a Masters degree in social work under his belt. To Rajan, these degrees are tools to help others. Asked about the outreach department's future plans, his responses are ambitious and focused. “Reaching out to 31 districts of Telangana,” he says, “and to continue to share expertise through collaborative discussion forums for the government teachers are some of my plans.”
“Inner delight,” he says, “and the satisfaction obtained from working for a cause are the rewards I seek from my work." If the outreach program is a manifestation of the ethos behind service and stewardship, then Rajan exemplifies those ethos.
AKA Alumni - Welcome to our Potential Mentors
The Aga Khan Academies is looking to enhance its offerings to its graduates, in an effort to improve communication and aid these individuals as they launch into the working world. As a result, The Aga Khan Academies invites you to be part of the inaugural career mentorship initiative. It is through this one-on-one mentorship programme that we hope to connect AKA mentees (graduates) with professional mentors (alumni/other professionals). We would like for students to be able to do the following with a mentor:
- Discuss potential career choices/moves.
- Get experience that complements and gives them context to their academic pursuits.
- Practice industry-specific, transferable & self-management skills.
- Guidance to improve chances of landing jobs.
- Increase self-awareness and understanding of how to contribute to the work world.
- Expand career options by learning job search strategies.
- Exchange knowledge, insights, and experience with a mentor.
The career mentorship program would run a year in cycle, with an opportunity to renew your capacity as a mentor, if you so desire. In order to make the appropriate career matches, and understand your availability and commitment, we have a few questions to help us with the pairing process.
We ask that you kindly fill out the information request in this form (click here) Rest assured that your personal information will remain confidential and will be for the Academy’s purposes only.
We are looking forward to hearing from you!
AKA Alumni Office