Vega Darsi: Robots, resilience and renovation
In the lead-up to the Class of 2024’s graduation from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, we will feature 12 of our graduates who have been at the Academy since Grade 1.
Below, we learn about Vega Darsi and his journey these past 12 years at the Academy.
The Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad has been a hub for young minds to explore their creative freedom and develop cognitive abilities. As his 12 years at the Academy come to an end, Vega Darsi reminisces about his journey and highlights how he thrived in an environment that nurtured his resilience and his passion for innovation.
For Vega, the Academy has become more than just a place of learning; a community that has empowered him to navigate challenges. Although the global pandemic disrupted two crucial years of his academic journey, the Academy's approach to education, emphasising critical thinking and problem-solving, equipped him with the tools he needed to bounce back.
Vega's academic pursuits perfectly exemplify the confluence of analytical thinking and a love for technology. His higher-level subject choices in the Diploma Programme – physics, computer science and digital societies – reflect this synergy. His affinity for problem-solving is also shown through his leadership role in the Academy's Robotics Club and Chess Club. The former was instrumental in shaping Vega's passion for technology. Here, he thrived in an environment that encouraged problem-solving and creativity. One of his most notable achievements was building a robot using Lego Mindstorms capable of “shooting” objects. Vega's robot enabled him to participate in the FIRST LEGO League, an official Lego competition, where he showed his intense passion for pursuing robotics at a whole new level. Alongside robotics, Vega's involvement in the Chess Club fostered his analytical skills. The game of chess demands strategic thinking and the ability to foresee consequences and make calculated decisions – qualities that are valuable assets in any field of endeavour.
When asked to share a fond memory from the Academy, Vega reminisced about his experiences during the Junior School's Primary Year Programme exhibition. While the exhibition helped him develop his interpersonal skills like communication, teamwork and leadership, the behind-the-scenes fun time with his peers created strong bonds of friendship he cherishes to this day. Vega also shared his experiences of the World Entrepreneurship Day celebrated at the Academy. It allowed him to explore his entrepreneurial acumen, developing analytical and innovative thinking, which will be useful in every phase of his life.
When asked about the aspects of the Academy he would never want to see change, Vega's response revealed a delightful blend of practicality, passion and a touch of lightheartedness. First, he mentioned the famous Wednesday biryanis served in the Commons, which became comfort food for many students like Vega and became a shared experience that brought everyone together.
Beyond the culinary delights, Vega treasures the Academy's vibrant sports culture. The environment provides a healthy outlet for competition, teamwork and physical activity. It fosters school spirit and camaraderie amongst students, creating a sense of shared identity and purpose. Finally, he highlights the beauty of the Academy's campus, mentioning the plethora of study spots available to students. These spots cater to different learning styles and preferences, ensuring students have a comfortable and conducive environment to excel.
Lastly, a piece of advice Vega would like to leave his juniors with is the importance of meeting deadlines. Even Vega, with his tendencies to procrastinate, understands the struggle between the urge to push work to the next day versus finishing it off. However, understanding the pressure inherent in the Diploma Programme, Vega highlights the importance of working efficiently and developing strong time management skills to meet the demands of the rigorous programme.
The Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad provided Vega with the ideal environment to nurture his passions for technology, problem-solving and strategic thinking, as well as challenged him to grow along with his noble pursuits. He feels immense pride in being called one of the Academy’s students, now soon to be called one of the “2024 alumni”.
Interviewed by Aanya Ganguly, Diploma Programme 1
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