Incredible Twelve Years in the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad

It’s been 12 years, but she still feels the same excitement as she did on the first day of her life in the Aga Khan Academy (AKA) Hyderabad. This is the story of Mahek Jasani and her incredible journey at the Academy. While musing on the past 12 years, she feels grateful for the immense opportunities the Academy made possible for her. The lush and expansive campus, the IB curriculum and the extensive focus on leadership have all played a significant role in shaping the person she is today. The Academy’s focus on the overall personality development of a student has embedded a sense of empathy in her. She’s come to become more appreciative of the environment around her that has now become her haven.

She recalls one of her fondest memories at the Academy was when she played football with her seniors in the rain. The eagerness to run to the football ground field after a long tiresome day, laughing her heart out with her teammates and splashing in muddy puddles are the memories that will remain permanently ingrained in her heart. Those moments of teamwork and shared sisterhood taught her the importance of authentic life-long friendships.

Mahek never thought her fascination with caterpillars in Junior School would develop in her an undying love for nature that made her choose Biology, along with Chemistry and Geography, in the Diploma Programme. Mahek aspires to study biochemistry and aims to develop innovative solutions to address the global climate crisis. She feels deeply passionate and excited about applying scientific knowledge and principles of biochemistry to develop renewable energy technology to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

She feels it to be her privilege to be an AKA Hyderabad student. She shares how the community and curriculum have embedded seeds of ethics and leadership in her through the active implementation of the IB Learner Profiles and the AKA Strands. “Hand-in-hand” remains to be Mahek’s most significant and commendable contribution to the Academy community. Mahek, along with two of her classmates, introduced this event to recognise and celebrate the contributions of the support staff at the Academy. This initiative portrays her deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for her community and is reflective of her humanness and humility as an individual. Furthermore, being a Nizam House Captain, Admissions and Communications intern, AKA Exchange Programme student, Dr Reddy’s Institute of Life Science intern, and Garba and football enthusiast, Mahek has spent her time at the Academy gaining a truly holistic learning experience.

In a nutshell, Mahek’s journey at the Academy has been a transformative experience that opened up an entire world of opportunities to a shy introverted girl, who loved spending her childhood in the embrace of the beautiful intricacies of nature. The Academy not only provided her with the educational foundation to support her aspirations but also equipped her with the skillset necessary to become an ethical leader. Mahek refers to the words of Shakespeare, “Though she be but little, she is fierce!” to assert the self-belief the Academy has seeded in her.

Interviewed by Alaina Hirani, Diploma Programme One