Shiza Virani: From footsteps to footprints
Zawiyya Minsaria: From cherishable moments to everlasting memories
Garv Joshi: A journey worth reminiscing
Ramya Sri Chapalamadugu: From finite skies to endless stars
Sarah Nathani: On a life-altering journey
Yamini Nibhanupudi (Class of 2014) - Looking at activism through a filmmaking lens
In an honest commentary on the creative process, filmmaker Stanley Kubrick said, “I do not always know what I want, but I do know what I don’t want.” The philosophy behind this method can be extrapolated to the lives of creatives, who wear many hats on their way to becoming who they are. Yamini Nibhanupudi graduated from the Academy in 2014 having focused on maths and sciences in the Diploma Programme. Since then she has roamed the highways of academia, always preferring the scenic route. She studied social sciences, stopped along the way to dabble in research and policy work, and ultimately discovered a passion for filmmaking. “For me,” she says, “deciding to stay in India and continue a life here is the best decision I made.”
Following her high school graduation, Yamini joined the Tata Institute of Social Science, Tuljapur, enrolling in their School of Rural Development. Here she studied political science, gender studies, history and sociology. During this time she worked with the Foundation for Democratic Reforms in Hyderabad, a think tank dealing with policy making. She also interned with Aga Khan Rural Support Program at Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, working with farmers and marginalized communities. “I always wanted to work with people who spend every single day without any resources at their disposal, to work on the pressing issues that exist in India, issues that most of us never see through our rose tinted glasses.”
“I never lived under the illusion that I would be able to improve the lives of people in India,” she says, adding, “I would like to, but I honestly wouldn’t know where to start.” Writing her final paper as an undergrad, she realized how she could authentically contribute to society. Yamini wrote her dissertation on ‘Gender Roles in the Telugu Film Industry.’ As she delved deep into the paper, she recognized her long held passion for film. She was accepted by TISS Mumbai’s School of Media Studies the same year.
Her choice was validated almost immediately, getting to work at a production house in Mumbai at the end of her first year, and then winning a competition to get a one-minute silent film funded. “A Mute Point” was then screened at the 16mm Film Festival. “It’s been quite a ride since graduating in 2014,” she says looking back, “and I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way.” She is on track to graduate with a Master’s in Media & Cultural Studies in May 2019.
Yamini is a strong proponent of public and government universities. She believes that they are the gateway to a range of education opportunities available in India, and creates an avenue to meet people from across the nation. “I think most people who go to IB schools don’t see India as a viable option to study for their years in university,” she says. “Unfortunately, most of them never truly realise the kind of exposure that you can receive here.” She later adds, “A lot of people might argue that they would gain more exposure and a better understanding about the rest of the world by going abroad. But they have never stepped out of their city in India and a lot of them rarely have friends out of their social class or caste in the country. I've been lucky to learn from wonderful people about the work they've done or that they intend to do with their lives, and India in itself has such wonderful and diverse cultures that I would probably never have ever been exposed to had I studied elsewhere.”
90% of graduates from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad have gone on to study abroad, and several students join the IB programme explicitly to have the opportunity to study in the West. Yamini says that an IB education is more than that, and that an education at the Academy was more significant to her than just a stepping stone. “IB teaches you to think critically, and to question everything,” she says. “In a country where rote learning is so persistent, it existed as a breath of fresh air for me.”
“The Academy prepared me for a lifelong affair with academia,” she confesses. “I learned to love research to the extent that I have considered going into teaching and pursuing a PhD.” Yamini is quick to add that her experiences at the Academy go beyond just education. “Being part of a community like this, which continues to check up on its alumni, and which still continues to be there for us years after we have graduated, is an immense source of pride.”
Students and professors at TISS take social activism to be an integral part of being an educated member of society and are involved in forcing change on their campuses, their cities and their fields. “I've learnt my place in this country from both a social and political standpoint,” says Yamini. “If I look back at 2018, I can see the fight that so many people have been a part of, whether it is about caste issues, the landmark judgement scrapping section 377, to the horrific [Transgender Persons] bill of 2018 that was passed, marginalising the very community it was meant to protect. I see my peers around me fighting every day and I can do nothing but support and document them.” Using her passion for filmmaking, Yamini hopes to make a responsible, self-aware contribution to these movements. “I would like to be able to tell their stories with them, with their permission, and with their direction. I know for a fact that I can’t, and in fact shouldn’t be their voice, but I can do everything in my power to back their voices.”
Yamini’s education has been broad and diverse, incorporating the complexity of sciences, the gentility of humanities and the adroitness of cinema. But unlike the Kubrik-ian creative littering the highway with discards, she uses detours to inform her work and her personality. “I never really had any clarity about what I wanted to do,” she says, "but now that I do, I’m pushing towards it with all the energy in me.”
Written by Ajay Sundaram
Sujana Veeramachaneni: Teacher, Assistant Coordinator, Dorm Parent, Mentor
At the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, Sujana Veeramachaneni holds more than her official titles of biology teacher and Assistant Coordinator for the Diploma Programme (DP), science teacher for the Middle Years Programme, and dorm parent. Sujana also ensures her students see her as a friend, mentor and pillar of support.
“They should always feel that I’m there for them, no matter the situation, or condition or time of day,” she insists. “Sometimes I get midnight phone calls! They don’t hesitate to approach me.”
Since the majority of DP students live on campus, “My job doesn’t end in the school,” she explains. “We see them as students, and the dorm is like a home for them – so it’s like seeing them at school and at home – same child, different behaviour. Sometimes it’s difficult to draw a line, because we see them here as well as in the school – so that emotional role is with us, also."
“Of course, I have to draw the line – otherwise maintaining discipline is quite difficult – but at the same time, that line is flexible. It’s not firm – but of course, there is a thin line.”
From her side, Sujana believes that she and other staff can learn from the students’ impressive ability to control their emotions at school. “These are all teenagers,” she reflects. “We see them here, inside and outside. Sometimes, even we lose control – but the students don’t have tantrums in front of their teachers. That’s what I learn from them – how to control our emotions.”
Sujana remembers what she went through at her students’ ages, and understands the pressures they face, especially those approaching graduation from the Diploma Programme, who face multiple deadlines, university applications, and academic and personal challenges. “I always put myself in their shoes,” she emphasises, and shares with her students her anecdotes on how she dealt with stress as a student.
At the same time, she acknowledges times have changed. “This generation is under more pressure – we were not exposed to so many kinds of media or diversions. They are dealing with many things at the same time – compared to them, when we were students, we had less complexity in our lives.”
The demanding IB curriculum motivates Sujana as a teacher, even though her switch to a career in teaching was first supposed to be temporary. Sujana holds an MSc in life sciences, with a specialisation in endocrinology, and a PhD in plant physiology. Her research focused on the physio-biochemical parameters of the post-harvest life of roses, after which she worked in post-harvest floriculture in Bangalore. In 2002 she relocated to Hyderabad and started working as a teacher in an international school.
She was drawn to the demanding and challenging nature of the International Baccalaureate curriculum and in 2013 joined the Aga Khan Academy as a biology teacher. Her career at the Academy has been a learning trajectory: “I’m definitely enjoying the professional development here.” She highlights the different positions she has held over the years, as well as gaining confidence over the years in teaching, helping, and guiding Special Education Needs (SEN) students, and the training, support and resources she has received from the SEN specialist at the Academy.
She also appreciates that the Academy itself is always developing – every year different projects, opportunities and ideas are introduced or planned for the future, and she praises the community service that the school ensures students experience: “It is inculcated in the students – the mission itself is very good and strong.”
The Academy is also always learning from its students; if, for example, some students stand out at drawing or music, the staff will learn from those strengths, and apply what they learn with students in the next batch. The curriculum is reviewed every year, and coordinators and deans take sessions every year to improve and upgrade their skills.
Academically, Sujana especially appreciates the opportunities students have to explore their own interests and to learn independently – “That is the beauty of the Extended Essay.”
“It’s very dynamic,” she explains, and she describes the Extended Essay as a “piece of research work, where the student will find their passion” and submit an essay akin to a mini-thesis.
Because “the curriculum has the scope to identify the strength of the student in different ways” and “the student will design their own labs,” independence and the opportunity to follow one’s own interests is important: “Every student’s choice is different,” she says.
As their teacher, Sujana enjoys the intricacies of guiding the students individually and tailoring her teaching style to their interests and strengths. This year, she is supervising six students, whose self-selected Extended Essay projects explore a range of topics including hydroponics, the greenhouse effect and carbon dioxide concentrations, mushroom cultivation, seed germination, and the effect of music on the growth of plants.
Sujana enjoys being able to show her dynamic, expressive side at the Academy and the freedom of teaching styles and resources that is not always available at other schools. But she finds even more satisfaction in mentoring than in teaching, and it is most rewarding when her students achieve their goals – obtain university admission, get their diploma, or overcome an obstacle when they thought they couldn’t cope, but were “able to achieve something with our guidance.”
She emphasises the need to be adaptable and compassionate towards her students, both for academic and emotional support. “You have to tailor yourself to the needs of the students because some students, you really have to encourage them, motivate them, and some students – at times you have to be firm, strict,” she explains. “I change myself, as per their needs.”
When asked what she envisions for her students’ futures, Sujana replies that she wants them to identify their passions and to continue doing what they like. “I want them always to be confident.
By Natasha Pirani
International Baccalaureate - Diploma Programme
International Baccalaureate - Diploma Programme
Taniya Dharani - alumna returned as visual arts fellow
“The Academy has made me the person I am today,” she says. “I wanted to give back to the Academy what it has given me.” After graduating from the Diploma Programme, Taniya went on to pick up a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Reading, England. In her current role at the Academy, Taniya wants to help visual arts students prepare for university level art courses. It’s also on her agenda to introduce art students to careers in their field that they might not have considered.
“I want to help give our Diploma Programme art students theoretical practice that will be useful at university,” she says. “I also want to help visual art students understand what opportunities the art world outside holds for them; artistic pathways they can opt for including business and law options in sectors that not everyone is aware of.”
Though she has her task laid out in front of her, returning to the Academy in her new role is understandably strange for Taniya. “I still feel like a student at heart,” she says. “But I’ve learnt to act like a teacher and take responsibilities.” Taniya understands that her experience as a student at the Academy puts her in a unique place of understanding in her current role as teacher. “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to see Academy life from a different light this time. Now I understand the day to day challenges teachers face, as well as the hardships of student life.”
Taniya fondly remembers her time as a student at the Academy. When she graduated, Taniya was the only student in the visual arts department. “I really enjoyed visual arts in school. Being the only student, I had the entire art studio and Ms. Meenakshi to myself.” She is referring to Meenakshi Joshi, who is now MYP coordinator in the Senior School. She also remembers history classes with Koel Ray, and service opportunities at old age homes and government schools that taught her humility and empathy.
However, her most cherished memory at the Academy is meeting His Highness the Aga Khan. At the inauguration ceremony of the Academy in 2014, Taniya had the opportunity to show and discuss her art work with HH. “It was the most precious gift that I ever received and a memory that has helped me hold onto my passion.”
In her personal life, Taniya cites her father as her source of inspiration. It is a common trope that parents discourage their children from pursuing a career in the arts, but this wasn’t the case for Taniya. “Despite people not understanding my passion for painting, he [Taniya’s father] always stood by me and helped me achieve my goals,” she says. Taniya is also proud of her father’s efforts in community service and the life he has led. “His struggles and achievements inspire me. It makes me want to do great things.”
“Growing up I realised that the only thing that ignited a fire in me was holding a paintbrush in my hands and dropping paint all over my clothes. It made me feel like all is well in my world, even when almost everything in life was falling apart.” Taniya is in some ways a time capsule from the Academy’s early years, and like a time capsule, she reminds us of things that have changed, and also about the things that have remained the same.
Written by Ajay Sundaram
Khushboo Khoja (Class of 2016): Giving back to communities
“My experience at the Academy was very significant as it made me realise that I am interested in working with social issues and helping communities,” reflects Khushboo Khoja, a 2016 graduate from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad.
Her passion for helping others, which was sparked through service learning initiatives she participated in at the Academy, is something Khushboo has taken with her to university. She is currently enrolled in the Faculty of Social Science at the University of Western Ontario in Canada, and recently completed her first year of post-secondary education. As a recipient of a tuition waiver through the Aga Khan Academies–Ontario tuition waiver programme, Khushboo is thankful for the opportunity to attend a university in Canada: “When I found out that I got the scholarship, it was a very grateful moment because it would change my whole life. The fact that I am able to get an education of this kind in Canada helps me build my future and enhances my entire quality of life.”
During her time at the Aga Khan Academy, Khushboo was able to help others improve their quality of life by volunteering at a government school for four years teaching English and math: “I always looked forward to finishing class and going there because those girls were so inspiring. Most of the girls didn’t come from as privileged backgrounds and didn’t have everything they needed, but were so happy and always so motivated and satisfied with everything they had.”
Khushboo continued this work through a summer internship in a village in India, where she learned more about the importance of education and awareness regarding sanitation and immunization: “While engaging with the community of the village and learning about their health and hygienic needs, we conducted school plays to spread awareness about the importance of healthy alcohol-free and tobacco-free lives. The special bond that I built with the people of the village motivates and inspires me to keep learning from the diverse communities I am surrounded with and making significant contributions in whatever ways I can. I am glad to have been opened to a new perspective in which a place does not necessarily have to be changed but has to first be accepted and appreciated.”
Khushboo attributes her ability to take her classroom learning and put it into practice to her time at the Academy: “I feel like my experience at the Academy allowed me to perceive in a more holistic and practical way. The experience was not just about what we were reading in books or learning, but also about incorporating values and ethics in our daily lives and applying our knowledge to better ourselves and the community. The integrated learning experience helped me learn how to learn, which I now carry with me wherever I go and whenever I am learning.”
During her short time in Canada, Khushboo has already begun making a difference in the community around her. Her volunteer activities include helping at the Merrymount Family Support and Crisis Centre, where she assists with counselling parents and children who are in crisis and/or experiencing times of transition. She was also elected to the executive team for the Ismaili Students Association as the ‘frosh representative’ where she has the opportunity to organise educational and social events for the members of the association: “I am the representative for the first-year students. I enjoy meeting new people from different cultures yet from the same community - the beautiful blend makes me appreciate the pluralistic atmosphere that’s created.”
She has also successfully applied for a leadership position on campus as a residence advisor where one of her primary roles will be to foster a community atmosphere in the residence. When not busy studying or volunteering, Khushboo also plays indoor soccer on the intramural team at Western.
One of Khushboo’s passions is working with women and children, promoting health and education. For Khushboo, going back to India and continuing this work is incredibly important: “I want to bring awareness and enrich the accessibility of resources. Sometimes it’s not about changing things but rather bringing a new perspective to people that may help them. Depending on the context, approaches to the occurring difficulties of people have to be altered, with broadening horizons.”
By Karina Hussein
