Students participate in inter-school chess competition
Play golf, change a life
Meet Erick Agira - Our new Chemistry and Integrated Science teacher!
Meet Alison Hampshire
Children’s Day celebrated with vigour and enthusiasm
Ham Serunjogi: Blazing a path across three continents
Look below for a video of Ham talking about his experience at the Academy.
Swimming from Uganda
Ham Serunjogi, age 23, grew up in Uganda and started swimming competitively at age 6. His parents encouraged his academics and his athletics, and Ham excelled in both. In 2010 he enrolled at the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa, Kenya.
On his way to Kenya, he competed in the Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010. At AKA Mombasa, he trained and studied hard, learning leadership and teamwork. He became president of the AKA Student Representative Council. At the Academy he became fascinated by digital communication. In 2011 he conducted a school project back home in Uganda, where he interviewed the IT manager at Cineplex Uganda.
To America
Ham’s drive got the attention of educators. After graduating from the Aga Khan Academy he received a scholarship to study in the United States. He pursued a bachelor’s degree at Grinnell College, where he majored in Economics.
With a fellow Grinnell student, Ham developed an app that allowed users to send short, encrypted voice recordings that would self-destruct after they were played. It was a smart solution that anticipated the rise of privacy concerns in technology. The app could work in places where voicemail systems weren’t common, like Ghana, where his app partner grew up.
The habits cultivated at AKA continued to bear fruit, he says. “The education I gained at the Academy had an emphasis on critical thinking,” Ham explains. That critical ability for problem solving fueled his achievement at Grinnell, along with a conviction that he had something to contribute.
Taking New Ideas to Facebook in Europe
As he prepared to graduate from Grinnell, Ham let himself dream big. He set his sights on the biggest social media giant he could find. “I took an unorthodox approach,” Ham said of his strategy for getting a job. “Instead of applying online, I sent an email directly to Sheryl Sandberg.”
He received responses to his email within hours, urging him to apply online. Soon recruiters were calling to set up interviews. The interviews led to an internship on Facebook’s Global Accounts Team in New York during the summer of 2015, before his final year of study at Grinnell College. There he enjoyed a surprising degree of autonomy to tackle issues that he cared about. In his first weekly one-on-one with his supervisor, she asked him, “What are you most passionate about?” He took that as encouragement and created a new initiative.
Ham is amazed by where life has taken him.
Keeping up Connections and Giving Back
Again and again, Ham has drawn on his experiences from AKA Mombasa, and the bonds among his Academy friends remain strong. Before starting his new job in Ireland, he visited friends and family in Uganda. He still connects often with his AKA Mombasa roommate, Aleem Mawji, now a student at the University of British Columbia. Ham’s friend from the AKA swim team, fellow Ugandan Joshua Tibatemwa, followed his path as a AKA swim team star and student president. Joshua also followed Ham’s example to Grinnell, where he’s now a student. Joshua competed for Uganda at the Rio Olympics last summer.
Ham took time away from settling into Dublin life to watch the Olympics on television, hoping to catch a glimpse of his friend.
Ham has launched into a life of active engagement, creating networks that make people’s lives better. He has seen how such networks make a difference. He shows dedication to paying it forward.
This spotlight is republished courtesy of AKF USA.
Aashish Dhammani (Class of 2015): Student into teacher
Read below about alumnus Aashish Dhammani's unique experience as an intern at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad.
As an intern at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, you are immersed in the everyday life of teaching and learning amidst some extraordinary intellectuals. As an Academy graduate, I have valued diversity in thoughts, lifestyles and priorities. In the last three months and 14 days, that was put to the test. Every day has been a learning experience; be it with peers or among guests with immense wisdom, my storehouse is now filled with a plethora of knowledge.
Interning under the Dean of Students Aaron Jacob, my internship focused on academic support for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme students in history and the theory of knowledge. Additionally, I was a dorm parent trying to balance a variety of academic and personal issues in student life. In the process, I have developed skills in time management, communicating in a working environment and organisation and resilience under pressure. I was also involved in the facilitation of the Academy's yearbook for 2016, interaction with visitors, assisting in the making of the first IB Middle Years Programme film and various Senior School events.
In my time here, I have grown to value the time, energy and knowledge that goes into the profession of teaching, which unfortunately is not widely respected across our Indian subcontinent. I also realised that as a teacher, you work equally as hard as any student in your class. In the future, my goal will also be to change the stereotypical image of a profession which is as challenging, enriching and rejuvenating as any other valuable profession. Teaching is reliving every day and growing individually.
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. After this internship, I am confident my dream is not too far removed. I will continue to motivate myself to grow, beat the odds, acknowledge diversity and tap into the unfathomable.
I am ready to take on another journey from oblivion to self-discovery!
Weekly Menu
Our menu consists mostly of fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, proteins, grains, and calcium and vitamin-rich foods. This menu was designed to ensure a well-rounded, healthy and balanced diet that is low in salt and fats, thus creating the habit of healthy eating as well as providing a fun and interesting experience for our kids.
A nossa ementa para crianças comporta fruta e vegetais frescos, gorduras saudáveis, proteínas, leguminosas e alimentos ricos em cálcio e vitaminas. Esta ementa foi concebida para garantir uma diteta saudável e equilibrada com baixo teor de sal e gorduras, cirando, assim, hábito alimentares saudáveis e proporcionar uma experiência divertida e interessante para as nossas crianças.
Sample menu
The Junior and Senior Schools
The Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad is made up of two schools, the Junior School and the Senior School, which together cater to students from grade 1 (age 6) to university entrance.
Junior School
All Junior School students follow the International Bacaalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP). Through the PYP, our students learn to be confident, independent and creative learners.
The Junior School building has been designed to address the needs of younger children, with age-appropriate facilities and classrooms. In addition to the PYP classrooms, the building contains the Junior School library, and music, art and information technology rooms. There are also large playing fields and a playground.
Senior School
Students in the Senior School pursue either the IB Middle Years Programme or the IB Diploma Programme. Those from the local area can choose to attend as day students, while those from other parts of the country or region live on campus as part of the residential programme.
The Middle Years Programme is for students in grades 6–10. It helps them master essential skills and knowledge, and teaches them to be critical and analytical thinkers. The Diploma Programme is offered to students in the final two years of school. It is an internationally recognised and demanding programme that prepares students for university entrance.
The school caters to both the intellectual and personal growth of students. It has a wide range of facilities that include:
- laboratories for the sciences and information technology
- art and music rooms
- library and resource centre
- career counselling centre
- student and teacher lounges
- cafeteria and dining area.
The building is networked so that computers become common resources for teachers and students. The multipurpose hall can be used for a variety of events ranging from theatre productions to parent–teacher meetings. The school also has swimming facilities as well as playing fields for soccer, field hockey and athletics.
For further information about applying to any of the programmes offered at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, please refer to the admission requirements.
The MUN Press Corps
Reporters and photographers were on their feet at all times, running to capture a crisis update, to jotting down the points. As director, chasing them to do their work was a bit tedious, being left with a sea of words to look over. At the end of the day, the array of words and pictures will keep the memories of the Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad Models United Nations alive for years to come.
By Nikita Madhani
