A home away from home that made all the difference

From a six-year-old to a Diploma Programme (DP) 2 student, Chanakya Basupally has spent 12 years at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad. He grew up to become an all-rounder at his finest, with keen interests in sports, academics and stomping, performing at every event with zeal and vigour. Walking into the premises alien to a completely new world, Chanakya wondered how his days at the Academy would be. 12 years later, he believes to have discovered himself and unleashed his true potential. Having spent his fundamental years on campus, Chanakya is driven by the mission of the Academy and believes in sharing and giving it back to the world. He feels a deep sense of gratitude towards the Academy and its people who were instrumental in building his confidence and shaping his personality.

In 12 years, Chanakya developed an interest in sports and was selected for the school’s U-18 school football team. The endless opportunities provided at the Academy bolstered his interest in sports and other activities. He won multiple awards in swimming and running competitions. He also showed immense interest in stomping, a musical rendition using waste materials, and led the group in multiple performances. Having a keen interest in economics ignited through his DP course, Chanakya plans to study business management and entrepreneurship in the future.

Chanakya deeply values the ideologies of diversity and pluralism practised at the Academy. His exposure to people from all over the world and the various perspectives that are put into play at the AKA Hyderabad has helped him broaden his sense of reasoning, giving him more food for thought.

Having been offered admission to the school for his merit, and picked as one of the four candidates to join the Academy in 2012, Chanakya is deeply grateful to the Academy for allowing him to be a part of it. The Academy not only imparts academic knowledge but also teaches life lessons that leave an intense impact on the students, including Chanakya, and help them do better as individuals.

Chanakya reminisces over his most memorable time at the Academy during his Junior School years. He recalls the endless fun he had, the theatre plays he participated in, the games he played with his friends, and the time he spent with his facilitators. Being one of the second group of students who participated in the annual student exchange programme across the Academies, Chanakya fondly recalls his time at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. Living in a different country and embracing a new culture and people added to his rich experience and inspired his approach towards life. He believes his stay in Mombasa prepared him to take on the real world.

Having been a residential student for the last 12 years at the Academy, it is like his home away from home. Chanakya found his comfort within the red walls of the Academy. As he bids adieu, he holds close to his heart the values, experiences, education and people of the Academy that have, in more ways than one, impacted him to be what he is today.

Interviewed by Siddharth Devineni, Diploma Programme One