Zawiyya Minsaria: From cherishable moments to everlasting memories

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 Zawiyya Minsaria’s memorable journey of growth at the Academy for the past 12 years.

For Zawiyya Minsaria, the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad has been her haven of comfort and refuge over the past 12 years, playing the role of a caring guardian who has given her the love, knowledge and direction she needed in life. Over the years, she witnessed the Academy strengthening its foundation and growing beautifully through thick and thin. Even through moments of difficulty, like the COVID-19 pandemic, she found the Academy and its community resilient, supportive and dedicated to its mission of nurturing young minds. It is from the Academy that Zawiyya learnt to be strong and feel powerful, believing it is these qualities that make the Academy a close-knit family.

When asked about her favourite moments at the Academy, Zawiyya reminisces about the joyful moments she spent in the Primary Years Programme. The Junior School and its teachers have a special place in Zawiyya’s heart as she created bonds for life with them. From singing “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars with Grade 2 homeroom teacher Ms Laboni Banerjee until their lungs gave out to relishing homemade pancakes at the Junior School reading teacher Ms Alison Zinsli's house, the memories she made were endless. The teachers taught her the values of care and compassion, thus building an indestructible connection.  

Zawiyya recalls how her Junior School lessons also better equipped her for life. Among one of the many events held, she fondly recollects World Entrepreneurship Day when the Junior School Principal Ms Sreelatha Kumar lent Zawiyya and her peers money as the capital to start a business. They had to devise a business strategy to sell their products and repay the loan with interest. To level up their understanding of the challenge, the students were taken on a class trip to the Inorbit Mall in Hyderabad, where they learnt about the role of money in a real-life context. These lessons on money and entrepreneurship helped develop Zawiyya’s interest in business while nurturing the qualities of strategic thinking, confidence and ethical leadership.

As a voracious reader, Zawiyya enjoys non-fiction and psychological books such as “The Power of Your Subconscious Mind” by Dr Joseph Murphy. She has always been fascinated by the human brain and its functions. For her Middle Years Programme personal project, she created a booklet, titled “Healing Comes from Within”. In the booklet, she aimed to spread awareness about depression and the different ways to fight it by delving into the power of the subconscious mind in healing depression. She plans to pursue psychology as she wishes to unravel the intricacies of the human brain and find ways to alleviate the struggle of those who suffer from mental ailments.

As her time at the Academy is nearing its end, Zawiyya is preparing herself to follow her dreams, equipped with the compassion and courage she inculcated from the teachings of the Academy. With life-changing experiences, memories and relationships, Zawiyya is ready for the next chapter of her life. 

Interviewed by Vaishali Akula, Diploma Programme 1