Alaina Hirani: Nurtured by diversity, ethical leadership and righteous aspirations

Alaina attributes her literary prowess to the guidance she received from the teachers and the cultural environment the Academy nurtures. She recalled an incident from Grade 8 when she recited a self-composed poem on the horrors of sexual assault after she read about it in the news. Her ruminations could stir up the emotions of her classmates. Alaina found peace and power in poetry and made a vow to confront injustices with a globally informed conscience.  

“The Academy instilled in me a strong value system and an ethical consideration of the world, [equipping me] with the right mindset to guide my future,” Alaina said. 

Deeply concerned about the rising mental health issues in society, Alaina wrote a book, which was later published and released into bookstores under the title “The Unheard Voices”, making Alaina one of the youngest published authors the Academy helped mould. Her interactions with people residing in old-age homes and orphanages, under the guidance of her teachers, helped her create an informed and diverse perspective on mental health. Alaina asserts that these experiences not only made significant contributions to her book but also became a cornerstone in redefining her "indefinite pursuit of questioning socio-economic inequalities."  

Alaina believes the Academy’s pluralistic setting makes it an unparalleled learning environment which helps her aim for the best. It is this environment that was conducive to cultivating her full potential to be a Model United Nations student leader. Alaina interned with the admissions and communications department, which opened up opportunities for numerous interactions with the school community, including students, parents, prospective families and the staff. She also worked on a research paper on the Academy’s Talent Identification Programme. Furthermore, she dedicatedly managed the Academy’s social media pages and assisted in planning social events.  

For Alaina, the Academy redefines the boundaries of what educational accessibility constitutes. This leads her to inform her younger peers to "utilise the vast resources, amenities and opportunities that the Academy provides and to explore their academic and personal interests beyond the classroom", where they must be inquisitive to seek knowledge.  

After graduating from the Academy, Alaina will attend Babson College, Wellesley, to pursue a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a concentration in real estate, finance and entrepreneurship. This is supplemented by the community outreach she intends to do by raising funds through art charity events for the children of domestic aids working in Telangana, India.  

While Alaina was a witness to the continuous transformation of the Academy over the past 12 years, she hopes for three things to be invariable forever. First, the sense of belonging, fostered by the student body which bonds over shared commonalities and embraces the differences. Second, the students’ strong inclination and love for altruistic service, which enables them to remain grounded. And lastly, the team spirit the students exemplify in activities beyond academics, especially in sports. 

As I look back on the purpose of this article, I am gently reminded of the contributions she made towards the transformative growth of the Academy. That alone is sufficient to be documented in these pages. As Alaina is soon to begin her college life, she is ready to take along all the experiences that contributed to her aspirations, ambitions and achievements. 

Interviewed by Bhaavik Blessed Mamidala, Diploma Programme 1