At the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, Ham Serunjogi – CEO and co-founder of African fintech giant Chipper Cash – realised the importance of staying connected to something larger than himself. The Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree is now serving as an advisor to the US President on African diaspora engagement.
Election holiday - Thursday 11th April 2019
AKA Hyderabad will observe a public holiday in connection with polling for the Lok Sabha elections.
Taxonomy family:
Alisha Sonawalla - pushing the frontiers of technology
Alisha Sonawalla was part of the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad’s first graduating batch, the Class of 2014. Since then, she has accumulated an extraordinary set of experiences during a gap year and subsequently at university in New York City before joining Microsoft in Seattle, USA this summer (2019). These experiences range from heading projects geared at exposing girls in rural India to coding and internet technologies to designing English language development programmes in Tajikistan, and most recently, to spending summers in Silicon Valley working on self-driving cars.
Alisha is currently working as a software engineer at Microsoft after pursuing a dual degree – a Bachelor of Science in computer science and a Bachelor of Science in management science with a concentration in data science (both from New York University (NYU)). She has received the Dean’s Honour Roll for securing a grade point average in the top 10% of the class. Outside the classroom, she has dabbled in multiple projects including building her own robot news-reader and experimenting with developing a secure cloud-sharing service.“The Academy helped me become comfortable with making mistakes and encouraged me to focus on identifying solutions instead,” Alisha said. “That, and my gap year experiences ignited in me a passion for tech and an entrepreneurial spirit, and ever since, I have been excited about building products to push the frontiers of technology forward.”
“It was an exciting time to be in the mecca of tech,” she reminisces. “I led the development of a large-scale mapping service to deliver real-time, preemptive updates to the vehicle, allowing them to make more efficient routing decisions and enhanced ride safety. As one of the early engineers in the self-driving car space, it was amazing to have the opportunity to contribute towards the future of tech.”
“The girls’ newfound confidence became my motivation as I travelled across India and to Tajikistan conducting sessions for women on STEM opportunities,” shares Alisha.
She was also one of 25 female engineers globally who was awarded the "Goldman Sachs Grace Hopper Conference Scholarship" to attend the Grace Hopper Conference, the largest conference for women in tech.
In 2013, while still at the Academy, Alisha travelled across four remote villages of Gujarat to document the livelihood and survival strategies of a lost community, the Devipujaks. Her interviews and field research were compiled into one of the only ethnographic studies done on this marginalised group of people, and she presented her findings at the National Conference on Human Rights organised by the Central University of Gujarat and the Government of India.
In the meantime, Alisha is joining Microsoft as a software engineer on their AI & Mixed Reality team.
“The Academy gave me the space to develop my moral compass by taking on leadership opportunities and experiencing ethical dilemmas first-hand. Being faced with these ethical decisions on a small scale helped me develop a moral compass that guides me through major decisions even today. Moreover, living in a shared space taught me to adapt to different situations, lifestyles and people, which made my transition to NYU, a new city and a different culture seamless.”
Written by Kamini Menon
Spotlights on Alumni
Below are spotlights on some of the Aga Khan Academies alumni:
13 November 2023
Although it has been a few years since he graduated from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, Alqaim Lalani, Class of 2019, says his years at the Academy had a major bearing on his academic career and strongly influenced his outlook on life. Now, as a graduate of Columbia University in New York, Alqaim is giving back to the Aga Khan Academies community that he says shaped his life and gave him so much.
05 October 2023
Jemin Patel’s journey to where he is now is the result of hard work and passion, values he picked up during his time at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad. Now, he's working at one of Canada's top accounting and consulting firms, still standing by the notion, "hard work always wins."
26 September 2023
Muskaan Bhaidani is an alumna of the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa who was in the Class of 2020. Graduating with an impressive International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) score of 44 out of 45, Muskaan is now attending McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
18 October 2022
Anahita Aman, a graduate of the batch of 2020 was here at the academy for 8 years. Currently pursuing History at University College London, she hopes to build a career in International Development.
23 June 2022
Congratulations to the Class of 2022! We are so proud of you and cannot wait to see what you do next. As we welcome our new graduating class to our alumni community, we asked four distinct graduates from the Aga Khan Academies in Mombasa and Hyderabad about their journeys and aspirations.
09 December 2020
Qamili Dave, a 2017 alumna of AKA Mombasa, discovered her passion for the culinary arts during her AKDN DP1 Internship at Serena Beach Hotel. Since then, she has gone on to pursue her passion for cooking, including undertaking Harvard courses to perfect her skill. What Qamili loves most about being a chef is preparing a good satisfying meal that warms the hearts of people.
04 September 2020
Lilian Odera, a 2015 alumna of the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa and recipient of the Karen McKellin International Leader of Tomorrow (ILOT) award, is the embodiment of a true leader and agent of change. True to form, she has a passion for actively being involved in community-based initiatives to influence change and creatively find solutions to issues in whatever way she can.
02 May 2020
Aleesha Suleman, a graduate student at UCL-Qatar, has never lost sight of what has always been important to her: giving back to her home country of Kenya.
01 March 2020
Raghuveer Vyas, director of the United Nations Initiative at New York University, is on a mission to bring change to the world through policy development and fostering a continuous dialogue between international leaders and the youth.
30 October 2019
Hussein Jiva graduated from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa after what he feels was a transformative journey.
02 July 2019
With a determination to change her country into a land of opportunity for all, Anzhela Mirzoeva, a recent graduate from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, will further her education at the Connecticut College in the United States by studying International Relations and Human Development.
28 June 2019
For Alqaim Lalani, his recent graduation from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa brings him one step closer to realising his dream of attaining a deeper understanding of how economics and politics affect the world around is. Alqaim will be enrolling at Columbia University in fall 2019, as a prestigious Kluge scholar.
14 June 2019
''I do not want a career in something predetermined for me from this age. When I am asked where I will be 15 years from now, I can promise you it will not be cooped up in an office doing routine work. I will probably be out there inventing something meaningful and purposeful, something which can be used to change the world.”
25 February 2019
The International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum is essential in enabling the Academies to develop well-rounded leaders of tomorrow. Hear from Zia Chapman, Class of 2018, and understand how this influenced her in choosing the Academy for her education. Zia is now a scholarship student at UBC in Canada.
21 February 2019
Through the inquiry-based International Baccalaureate curriculum, the Aga Khan Academies aim to develop young individuals who will have the capacity to lead and to build strong civil democratic societies in the future. Hear from one of our alumni, Moiz Rajwani, Class of 2018, and see how we have been turning this vision into reality at the Academies. Moiz was awarded a scholarship at Western University in Ontario, Canada and enrolled in September 2018.
18 February 2019
"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."
11 February 2019
“The IB curriculum followed at the Academy has played a pivotal role in building many essential skills for university life. Its skill-based learning approach, and connecting classroom learning to the real world, also prepared me well for higher education."
08 February 2019
“The Academy helped me become comfortable with making mistakes and encouraged me to focus on identifying solutions instead – igniting an entrepreneurial spirit within me. It is this spirit which led me to take a year off, work on self-driving cars, build my own news-reading bot, experiment with developing a cloud-storage service and have the confidence to take the road less taken."
05 November 2018
This 2014 AKA Hyderabad graduate 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. “The Academy has made me the person I am today,” she says. “I wanted to give back to school what it has given me.”
03 July 2018
Josephine Awino, alumna of the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, will be attending Wellesley College for her undergraduate studies in environmental science. She shares a reflection on her personal journey at the Academy in which she developed a sense of self and fostered her passions.
11 June 2018
Muriuku Njonjo graduated from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa with the receipt of a full scholarship to the University of Waterloo in Canada. He shares a personal reflection about his time studying at the Academy: "The Academy changed my way of thinking, my way of doing things and informed my purpose in life."
28 May 2018
Kamila Janmohamed graduated from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa this year. Upon anticipating her upcoming start at Yale University, Kamila reflects on the intellectual growth and strong sense of self she has developed over the past four years at the Academy.
25 May 2018
I love that my classes are filled with students from all parts of the country, irrespective of their financial standing or cultural background. I strongly believe it helps build our vision of pluralism.
15 May 2018
Ariq Kapadia, alumnus of the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, shares a reflection on his personal journey during his time at the Academies: "The experience that I had in those five years at the Academy continues to develop me further and make me more capable of success."
08 May 2018
Inaara Sarfani shares a reflection on her personal journey at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad. She explains that her time as a student there entirely shaped the person she is today and allowed her to develop a far-reaching skillset.
30 April 2018
Joshua Abuto tells an inspiring and promising tale of what drives him to sustain his vision of making a difference in the lives of his fellow citizens in Kenya. A 2016 graduate of the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, Joshua is currently in his second year at the University of Texas at Arlington on a scholarship where he is studying computer science and engineering.
26 March 2018
Khushboo Shah shares a reflection on her personal journey at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad: "I believe that the Academy’s dynamic vision has allowed me to believe in my imagination, passion and curiosity while pursuing ambitious projects."
06 February 2018
Imtiyaz Hariyani credits the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad with giving him more than just the academic skills he needs to succeed at the undergraduate level. “The spirit that the Academy embedded in me has allowed me to emerge as a global scholar with the support of my family and lifelong friends that I made in Hyderabad and elsewhere,” he explains.
20 December 2017
An alumus of AKA Mombasa and University of California Berkeley, Rahim reflects: "The Academy helped me to grow to be the man I am today by instilling values of social conscience and intellectual curiosity that I continue to hold precious today."
21 November 2017
Mary considers her time at the Academy in Mombasa to be a gift. With compassion and leadership, she is determined to help students with similar backgrounds succeed and receive the same opportunities she was granted.
12 November 2017
Danish is global citizen with a creative approach to life. One of his many achievements is the award-winning app, Orai, which aims to make anyone become a better public speaker using artificial intelligence.
17 October 2017
“The Academy helped instil within me a need to contribute to community where possible and a sense of self confidence and teamwork.”
26 September 2017
“I believe that with education, people have the power to tackle and solve problems that affect their communities,” reflects Kelvin Njue, a graduate from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa who has benefitted from the Ontario Tuition Waiver Programme.
12 September 2017
Ruhi Kamal Manek, an alumna of the Aga Khan Academies Mombasa, took away one enduring lesson from the Academy: the importance of engaging in thoughtful and careful consideration of diverse opinions.
30 August 2017
Tanaz Hudda currently acts as the new poster girl for the University of Victoria. She graduated from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad in 2016 and has just completed her first year of university in Canada.
22 August 2017
Aleem Mawji shares his journey of self-discovery, which began at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa and continued towards creating tangible change.
11 July 2017
Khushboo Khoja has a strong passion for helping others which she developed during her time at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad. “I feel like my experience at the Academy was very significant as it made me realise that I am interested in working with social issues and trying to help communities,” she reflects.
23 June 2017
Aman Punjani graduated from the Academy in 2016 and took a gap year to pursue his career as a competitive cyclist. Today, he is the U-23 Telangana state champion.
10 March 2017
“Being part of an open-minded community that encouraged challenging what we were taught, the willingness to accept one another and inspire each other to grow constantly, was very refreshing. I credit these experiences for much of who I am today.” – Dania Quadri, Class of 2014
27 February 2017
Aga Khan Academy graduate Joshua Tibatemwa swam for Uganda in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He credits the Academy with growing him not just academically but "as a person.” He plans to return to Uganda, saying, “If I want things back home to change, I have to work to be the change.”
27 June 2016
“I think that at the end of the day what everything comes down to is how we can be citizens of the world and how we can change the world that we live in to make it a better place for ourselves and children that follow us. And part of that also means giving back to your own community,” says Karishma Bhagani.
17 June 2016
"The Academy is an environment that challenges and nurtures leaders who are fearless, courageous and stewards. I have always envisioned growing up to be one myself."
17 May 2016
Kashyap Gohel, who graduated from the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa, tells us about his experiences and how the Academies contributed his many accomplishments.
25 January 2016
Ham Serunjogi, an alumnus of the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, is a natural leader, bold thinker and team player. A recent graduate of Grinnell College in Iowa, Ham traveled widely before landing a job at Facebook. He has a passion for making connections that give back.
13 March 2015
"There are a lot of values that the Academy instilled in me that I carry to this day. It has taught me the importance of being aware of the community around us as well as giving back to the community whenever possible," says Class of 2012 alumnus Fatema Sheikh.
23 January 2015
“I believe [Aga Khan Academy Mombasa] is where I shaped my values that I still hold to this day. It is also where I saw and felt the importance of building a community, no matter how large or small.” Indeed, the importance of these values to Mirabelle Arodi is obvious in her actions after graduation from the Academy.
Videos
The Aga Khan Academy Maputo: From Vision to Reality (Portuguese subtitles)
The Aga Khan Academy Maputo is committed to developing future leaders by delivering Excellence in Education. We offer merit-based admission to our International Baccalaureate (IB) programme at our purpose-built world-class campus in Maputo, Mozambique. Watch our newly released video to learn more about our unique offering.
A better world through education: The Aga Khan Academies
The International Baccalaureate featured the Aga Khan Academies and our approach to creating home-grown leaders as part of their 50th anniversary commemoration. Watch to learn how the Academies work to transform the communities in which they are located.
Spotlight: Abdirahman Ibrahim
This is Abdirahman, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. During his time at the Academy, he explored his wide-ranging abilities and developed an initiative that helped change the lives of young girls in Mombasa.
Spotlight: Abdalla Ahmed Mahmud
Meet Abdalla, a Somali student from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. He shares his journey of self-discovery: Abdalla solidified his multiple identities, fostered his strengths, and created positive social change during his years at the Academy.
International Women's Day 2018
Women and girls are strong, fearless, courageous, limitless, and powerful. The Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad celebrated International Women's Day on 8 March 2018 with this video.
Children Dare to Dream Big
Video by AFD – Agence Française de Développement about how children at the Aga Khan Academy Maputo "Dare to Dream Big" in their new school facilities. The Aga Khan Academy in Maputo, Mozambique has been growing since it opened its doors in 2013. The second phase extension was completed in early 2018 and included bigger classrooms, extended outdoor play areas, a library, an art room and a science lab.
Spotlight: Mercy Muthui
This is Mercy, a teacher at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa who joined through the Teacher Preparation Programme. Mercy fosters profound and meaningful relationships with everyone around her and consistently encourages her students to be the best versions of themselves.
Sadiq Issa: Video spotlight
Meet Sadiq, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. Open-mindedness, confidence and time management are some of the many characteristics he has developed at the Academy that will help him achieve his dream of becoming a journalist.
Saumya Gupta: Video spotlight
Meet Saumya, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. A musician and a leader, she shares her wisdom on what it means to make a true positive impact.
Ivy Akinyi: Video spotlight
Introducing Ivy, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. Her innate drive for self-growth and desire to give back to the community makes her a true home-grown leader.
Felix Ngumo: Video spotlight
Meet Felix, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. With a keen early interest in science, he shares his dreams for the future and explains how the Academies have helped foster his ambitions.
Stephen Githakwa: Video spotlight
This is Stephen, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. His passion for community service shines as he expresses the growth in perspective he experienced through his education at the Academy.
Aga Khan Academy Mombasa Junior School
A day at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa's Junior School, seen through the eyes of the students.
IB MYP film
Students and teachers from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad are featured in this film from the International Baccalaureate about the Middle Years Programme.
IB MYP – service
This film by the International Baccalaureate highlights the impact being made by students from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad through a service initiative at a local government school.
AKA Maputo construction July 2017
July 2017 video showing progress on the construction of the Aga Khan Academy Maputo's campus.
Aga Khan Academies: Developing leaders
The aim of the Aga Khan Academies is to develop future leaders with the skills and knowledge to support positive development in their societies. The Academies achieve this by recruiting exceptional young people from all backgrounds and providing them with the highest international standard of education.
Ethical, effective, pluralistic: The Aga Khan Academies
The Aga Khan Academies are a global network of schools that produce future leaders who are ethical, effective and pluralistic.
Articles of Interest
The articles listed below have been drawn from the Aga Khan Academies newsletter. They include feature stories and information on aspects of the Aga Khan Academies programme.
Subscribe to the Aga Khan Academies newsletter
Videos
The videos below provide more information about the Academies and glimpses into student life at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad.
Pages
International Baccalaureate - Middle Years Programme
International Baccalaureate - Middle Years Programme
Videos
The Aga Khan Academy Maputo: From Vision to Reality (Portuguese subtitles)
The Aga Khan Academy Maputo is committed to developing future leaders by delivering Excellence in Education. We offer merit-based admission to our International Baccalaureate (IB) programme at our purpose-built world-class campus in Maputo, Mozambique. Watch our newly released video to learn more about our unique offering.
A better world through education: The Aga Khan Academies
The International Baccalaureate featured the Aga Khan Academies and our approach to creating home-grown leaders as part of their 50th anniversary commemoration. Watch to learn how the Academies work to transform the communities in which they are located.
Spotlight: Abdirahman Ibrahim
This is Abdirahman, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. During his time at the Academy, he explored his wide-ranging abilities and developed an initiative that helped change the lives of young girls in Mombasa.
Spotlight: Abdalla Ahmed Mahmud
Meet Abdalla, a Somali student from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. He shares his journey of self-discovery: Abdalla solidified his multiple identities, fostered his strengths, and created positive social change during his years at the Academy.
International Women's Day 2018
Women and girls are strong, fearless, courageous, limitless, and powerful. The Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad celebrated International Women's Day on 8 March 2018 with this video.
Children Dare to Dream Big
Video by AFD – Agence Française de Développement about how children at the Aga Khan Academy Maputo "Dare to Dream Big" in their new school facilities. The Aga Khan Academy in Maputo, Mozambique has been growing since it opened its doors in 2013. The second phase extension was completed in early 2018 and included bigger classrooms, extended outdoor play areas, a library, an art room and a science lab.
Spotlight: Mercy Muthui
This is Mercy, a teacher at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa who joined through the Teacher Preparation Programme. Mercy fosters profound and meaningful relationships with everyone around her and consistently encourages her students to be the best versions of themselves.
Sadiq Issa: Video spotlight
Meet Sadiq, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. Open-mindedness, confidence and time management are some of the many characteristics he has developed at the Academy that will help him achieve his dream of becoming a journalist.
Saumya Gupta: Video spotlight
Meet Saumya, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. A musician and a leader, she shares her wisdom on what it means to make a true positive impact.
Ivy Akinyi: Video spotlight
Introducing Ivy, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. Her innate drive for self-growth and desire to give back to the community makes her a true home-grown leader.
Felix Ngumo: Video spotlight
Meet Felix, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. With a keen early interest in science, he shares his dreams for the future and explains how the Academies have helped foster his ambitions.
Stephen Githakwa: Video spotlight
This is Stephen, a student at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. His passion for community service shines as he expresses the growth in perspective he experienced through his education at the Academy.
Aga Khan Academy Mombasa Junior School
A day at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa's Junior School, seen through the eyes of the students.
IB MYP film
Students and teachers from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad are featured in this film from the International Baccalaureate about the Middle Years Programme.
IB MYP – service
This film by the International Baccalaureate highlights the impact being made by students from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad through a service initiative at a local government school.
AKA Maputo construction July 2017
July 2017 video showing progress on the construction of the Aga Khan Academy Maputo's campus.
Aga Khan Academies: Developing leaders
The aim of the Aga Khan Academies is to develop future leaders with the skills and knowledge to support positive development in their societies. The Academies achieve this by recruiting exceptional young people from all backgrounds and providing them with the highest international standard of education.
Ethical, effective, pluralistic: The Aga Khan Academies
The Aga Khan Academies are a global network of schools that produce future leaders who are ethical, effective and pluralistic.
Tanaz Hudda (Class of 2016): Poster girl for University of Victoria
Tanaz Hudda currently acts as the new poster girl for the University of Victoria. She graduated from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad in 2016 and has just completed her first year of university in Canada. While currently undeclared she plans to pursue a double major in History and Economics. Tanaz emphasises the usefulness of the Academy in her past year of study. "I definitely feel that the balance provided by the Academy has helped me get involved in different projects in university without compromising my academics."
Another lesson that is helping her through university came from one of her Academy teachers. "My teachers were my support system throughout my time at the Academy. One of my favourite teachers who pushed me harder and harder whenever I would perform well or sometimes not so well was Dr. Karuna Arya. I think she instilled this idea in me that one can always do better, even if it appears that you are the best at it. I genuinely cannot forget that lesson as it has helped me so much in the past few months at university." Tanaz also relied on the Academy's staff for help with university choices. "Choosing the kind of university that would suit you the best is always difficult. I had many questions and I had no clue where I would rather go as all universities seemed appealing. For me, the two things that mattered most was affordability and coop opportunities in the field of humanities. I was able to narrow down the list with the help of our University Counsellor, Ms. Pragati, and that made a huge impact on my university choice."
Even though Tanaz has found that Canada can offer her the best career opportunities she believes that giving back to her country and settling down in India is more important. "That connection is what motivates me to study harder and then settle in India to contribute to the greater good of the place I come from. The Academy taught me to strive for excellence, work for the community and be involved in as many extra-curricular activities as possible, as well as never forget where you come from. Giving back to the society has been my goal ever since I joined the Academy and would definitely influence my plans for the future." While at the Academy Tanaz volunteered at a local residential school and helped organise different events for the children there. This and other service projects, such as her volunteering in Nairobi, has convinced Tanaz of the importance of education for India's future, especially in rural schools.
Not only is it important for students to have an education but she also stresses the importance of a 'proper' education. "I have visited many local schools which have neither resources nor adequate training to teach kids what they are supposed to learn. I feel that education is the only chance we have to transform how the nation thinks and that needs to be instilled in rural areas, because India lives in its villages. No education and most of all, improper education could be dangerous in creating false knowledge and sometimes continuing the social evils that exist in a society. Hence, I would focus on making the education system better."
Nabil Patel: photographer par excellence and published author
Nabil Patel is currently studying in grade 11 at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, where he has been a student for the last five years. "The Academy has provided me many opportunities to grow as a balanced individual and reach my true potential, both academically and athletically. In the last three years, I have been the Vice-Captain of the U-14 and U-15 football teams, and Captain of the U-16 team. Being part of a team and also having been given positions of authority has taught me about leadership and the qualities one should inculcate to be an inspiring leader."
Another passion of Nabil's that he has been encouraged and supported in pursuing is photography. He took part in the beginners and advanced Fredric Roberts Photography Workshops at the Academy in October 2015 and March 2017 respectively. Fred unleashed his talent and predilection for photography, and after the advanced workshop, he joined his team as a teaching assistant for a beginner’s workshop for Academy and government school students. With the experience and skill gained, Nabil now also runs a photography club as an after-school enrichment activity for three hours a week, to teach students how to tell stories through still images.
As part of his IB MYP (Middle Years Programme) Personal Project, he wrote a photography book to share his knowledge with those who were not as lucky as he was to have been trained by a world-renowned photographer such as Fred. In order to create a quality product, he held multiple interviews with professional photographers and spent hours collecting and clicking pictures for the book. "Many questioned the need for this book and said there were books on photography available on Amazon and other easily accessible platforms. I told them that my book is different because it starts with the basics of photography and steadily progresses to more advanced practical applications. I also wanted to write a book that was affordable for another ‘kid’ like me who could try his/her hand at photography and give it a shot." The book contains unique aspects such as ‘Section 7: A Professional’s View’ where a number of professional photographers unveil their secrets to achieve perfection and provide some quick tips. Keeping all this in mind, he decided to name the book ‘Click! Your Guide to Photography,’ which is now available for sale on Amazon at this link.
"My skill in photography has taken me a long way. I am currently working under the AKDN’s National Task Force for the Jubilee Celebrations as a photojournalist, capturing events and presenting them through my photographs. My work has been published through The Ismaili India on multiple mediums and featured in the Times of India student edition. I also assist the Aga Khan Academy’s communications department with in-house media projects and publications. Most recently, I was awarded an Outstanding Delegate Award at the India International Model United Nations held in August 2017 at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. Although I have been a longstanding participant at the Academy Model United Nations (MUN) and at other school MUNs, and have a 100%-win record in the International Press, this was my first time competing at an international forum. I came back more confident about my skills and more determined to make them better, even if it takes a lot of hard work!"
