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.
Class of 2018 graduates receive their IB Diplomas
The Academy Celebrates the Class of 2018
Onwards and Upwards
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.
Imra Dawoodani, AKA Hyderabad
Plans to join the University of California, Berkeley for a BSc in electrical engineering and computer science.
What drives you? What is your superpower?
The impact of experiences. Experiences have moulded the most intricate details of the world as I see it. Whether new, old, unexpected, or a planned experience, each circumstance prompts the creation of a new approach within me, defining my ability to adapt to a multitude of situations. Sometimes it outlines my path, in other cases it intrigues me to look for one.
How did the Academy impact you?
It's been a journey. Exposing me to every emotion one could feel, pushing me forward every second because life never stops, and opening routes to a variety of opportunities, the Academy has thoroughly done its part in making me realise that I'm the only one who can take a call for myself.
You’re a new addition to the crayon box; what color would you be and why?
Grey may not seem like the ideal choice, but it depicts my conflicted self. I'm the one trying to figure out light and darkness, ebbs and flows, the balance between emotions and practicality. A simpler derivative to this conclusion would be my utterly annoying indecisiveness. I'd be the one to mix sushi and dal however horrendous it sounds because I just cannot choose what I want to eat today.
Jacintha Thota, AKA Hyderabad
Plans to join the London School of Economics and Political Science for a BSc in politics and economics
What drives you?
Two things that have driven me for a very long time are fascination and long-term goals. I am someone who just loves the idea of learning new things. Whatever I put my mind to is always driven by a sense of love, a sense of wonder, whether that's my academics or my extra curriculars. That fascination keeps me going. When it comes to long-term goals, I do know I want to work in the field of economics when it comes to equity or sustainability and that has shaped my interests and path.
How did the Academy impact you?
The most profound impact has been that it has shown me the world is so much bigger than the bubble that you grew up in. It brought together people from different cultures and socioeconomic backgrounds. It has shaped my goals to be community oriented. And it has shown me that being a good person is having the right mindset and being tolerant to new ideas and new people.
What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
COVID-19 lockdowns and the kind of terror it put around the world when I was doing my DP journey meant it was incredibly hard to stay motivated when people were literally dying around you by the thousands. It left me with a sense of cynicism and feeling really demotivated. But actually, coming back to the academy and being around people again reminded me just how much I valued this community. It definitely helped overcome the sense of dread I had started to feel during those 18 months or so.
Khushi Bajaria, AKA Mombasa
Plans to join the University of Miami to study health science (pre-med
What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them? What was your best mistake?
I faced the challenge of making friends because of the way I felt the need to please my friends continuously. However, as I focused time on my goals, I eventually became part of a diverse group of friend groups. I also first thought it was a mistake that I ignored the warning from my personal project coordinator to not go ahead with my idea as it may impact my grades if I fail in it, however, as I believed in the impact it could make and communicated with the right people, I was able to be successful in it and make a greater impact than expected.
How would you describe success and what do you hope to achieve in the next 5 years?
Success is a never-ending mountain with large rocks of joy and glee that help one stay stable, and numerous smaller rocks that keep pushing one to slip backward in their journey of meeting their expectations. The soil of the mountain is then like family and friends that support and help piece part of this journey together to make success what it is. I hope to have completed my bachelor's degree in health sciences and my first year of medical school. I also hope to have expanded my project (teaching Grade 5 to 7 students in how to create and help an eco-friendly microscope). I hope by then, I shall have taught the developmental process in more than fifteen schools in different countries through a team internationally.
Mishal Lalani, AKA Mombasa
Plans to join Middlebury College to major in microbiology and biochemistry and a minor in geography and sociology
What are your plans after graduation?
Firstly, I plan to sleep, have fun and just wind down all the stress that we have been put through for the past two years. I also look forward to and plan to spend time with my family before I leave for university in August, as well as the friends who live around me. Similarly, I hope to do a short internship at the Aga Khan Hospital in Mombasa just to grasp the healthcare environment as that is what I hope to pursue in the future.
What drives you? What is your superpower?
What has particularly always driven me is the community around me. Seeing the community improve when I help out or different community projects help out makes me want to go the extra mile and do more.
How did the Academy impact you?
The Academy made me an all-rounded individual and made me a global citizen. Being the first cohort to go on the exchange programme, I felt very privileged to be at the Academy and to have access to such amazing opportunities that will indeed be spoken about and recognised for the rest of my life. I made the most special memories at the Academy. Most importantly, the Academy taught me that no matter who I am or where I come from, I can make a change if I want to. This was the biggest lesson for me, and I believe it will take me far in life.
Naheed Bardai's closing remarks at AKA, Mombasa's Class of 2015 graduation
The Cabinet Secretary of Education for Mombasa County, Mr. Tendai, Dr. Bentil, Mr. Bhatia, Mr. Otieno, Graduates, Parents, faculty and invited guests, thank you for taking the time to grace this occasion.
Dr. Bentil, thank you for your inspirational words and guidance, especially towards our graduates.
Joshua, thank you for your insights into the operations of our graduating class, including the things we didn’t – and I’m not sure I really wanted to know!
It is now my pleasure to present the The Aga Khan Academy Award of Excellence. The Aga Khan Academy Award of Excellence is given to the most outstanding male and female student in DP2 each year. This award is given to the top overall male and female contributors to academics and student life, and who best exhibit the AKA Learner Profile upon graduation in DP2. The award considers students’ achievements and contributions in DP1 and DP2. I will start with the female recipient.
Courageous, charismatic and pluralistic, the female recipient of the Award is a role model student. Academically, she is an inquirer with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. With a community-driven outlook and approach, she has managed to find the right balance in pursuing activities that benefit the community while also enabling her to grow. As an accomplished scientist, she earned a gold medal in an international science competition presenting her innovative low-cost water purifier that she carried through from her MYP Personal Project. As a celebrated artist, she has organized dance recitals and written and acted in her own play. Having recently suffered from a difficult illness prior to and during the examination session, she demonstrated the heart and resilience of a true leader. Next year, she will be pursuing her passion in Theatre at New York University in New York on a full tuition scholarship. Please join me in congratulating this year’s female recipient of the Aga Khan Academy Award of Excellence, Karishma Bhagani.
Passionate, socially conscious, and scholarly, the male recipient of the Award is one of the most inspiring students I have had the pleasure of working with. The owner of a true growth mindset, he is never satisfied with the status quo and is always looking to better himself in every way. His deeply held belief in equity and social justice manifest itself in all that he does. Coming from modest means and part of our Talent Identification programme, his humble and unassuming style makes him approachable and an inspiration to all, making us believe that one can overcome life’s obstacles. In many ways, this young man has been the maker of his own destiny. A dedicated researcher and scientist, this student completed his Extended Essay in World Studies looking at the relationship between agricultural productivity and household income in his local community. In addition, he placed third in an international science competition for his work in creating a generator that could produce 50 watts of clean energy using magnets. A former Student Representative Council executive member and current Dorm Captain, he has been a big brother to many. Receiving a full Mastercard Scholarship to study engineering at the University of Toronto, please join me in congratulating this year’s male recipient of the Aga Khan Academy Award of Excellence, Maxwin Ojwang.
Graduates, you have just conquered one of the most important rites of passage – sitting for two hours without sending a tweet, making a comment on Facebook or posting a picture on Instagram. Parents, this is clearly evidence that your sons and daughters are capable of unplugging while at home over their much deserved break. Graduates, you will soon have the chance to get caught up on all of your favourite series, play video games until your fingers fall off, and watch viral videos of strange animals doing strange things. You deserve this break, just as you deserve this ceremony in your honour. Just yesterday, these graduates surmounted a real milestone – their IB examinations. Graduates, I have seen you study harder than any other cohort I have known; I have seen you band together as colleagues and friends to support one-another in times of need; I have seen the joy on your face when you open that exam script and see the exact question you were hoping for; I have seen you curse those exact same exam papers; and as a class, I have seen you consume the most amount of coffee and sugar of any graduating class. Graduates, this is one of many rites of passage that you will undergo in your life. And as you go off to be a leading economist or entrepreneur who helps to find a way to bridge the poverty gap or solves Greece’s economic crisis, or that innovative scientist or engineer who finds a solution to our most pressing health or energy concerns, or that artist who helps us to reflect on our own identity, or that politician striving to create a more inclusive society – be humble and be brave. Be humble and be brave.
The greatest challenge that I believe you will face is not writing that university exam, getting that dream job, or finding a partner – the greatest challenge you will face will be challenges that test your moral compass – that test your integrity – that test your character. Will you have the capacity to forgive even when someone has let you down or stabbed you in the back? Can you have the patience and intellectual humility to invite multiple points of view, even if they disagree with your own? Will you be a good parent to your child? Will you be a good son or daughter to your parents?
To make matters even more complex in the challenges to your character is our ability to operate ‘in cognito’ online. We can do things through an email, text, tweet or photo that will self-destruct in 5 seconds that we would never dream of doing in person. While this relatively new way of relating to one-another has tremendous potential, we cannot hide behind the anonymity afforded to us so easily through technology, holding ourselves to different ethical standards.
That being said, if the last six years that I have had the privilege of working with many of you are anything to go by, I know that your moral compass is strong. Having spent a significant amount of time with all of you, I trust that the future of our communities and countries are in very capable hands.
Ladies and Gentlemen, these graduates are stars and are outstanding in so many ways. 9 of them helped to form our first Year 1 class in 2003, and many more have joined along the way. This cohort formed our first residential group in 2009, and marked the beginning of our robust Talent Identification and Financial Aid programmes. These graduates were the first to go through our mentorship and leadership programmes in 2011, and formed our largest ever Diploma class in 2013. Your combination of intellectual fervour, pursuit of social justice, excellence in athletics, creativity in the arts and inspirational leadership has left an undeniable mark on this school. Indeed, your success is all of our success, and other than your parents, there is nobody more proud of your accomplishments than your teachers. From the PYP to MYP and DP, these inspiring educators have helped to nurture your creativity, sharpen your critical thinking, develop your passions, and hone your moral compass. Graduates, please join me in thanking all of your teachers. I would like to thank all of those who have helped along the way – the nurses, kitchen staff, IT department, maintenance teams, drivers, admin staff and librarians. Without you, none of this would be possible.
To conclude, I would like to quote His Highness The Aga Khan from a recent speech he made in Nairobi at the Aga Khan University graduation. He said, “This is not a Farewell Ceremony. In fact, an event like this is often called a “Commencement”, since it marks the beginning of so many great new stories. We hope that you too will share your stories with us, in the days ahead.” On that same note, I would like to acknowledge and thank our many alumni who have joined us today for this ceremony.
Once again graduates, we wish you well and congratulations. Thank you.
Excellent results for AKA Mombasa's Class of 2018
AKA Mombasa's Class of 2020 Graduates
AKA Mombasa Class of 2020 Virtual Graduation Ceremony
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, Academy alumna, 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 that 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.
AKA Mombasa 2017 Graduation Ceremony
AKA Dhaka Campus Construction Diary
Construction of the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka's award-winning new campus is underway. Visit this page regularly to see how construction is progressing.
December 2019
Click here to see the December 2019 construction photo gallery.
November 2019
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October 2019
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September 2019
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August 2019
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July 2019
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June 2019
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January 2019
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December 2018
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November 2018
October 2018
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September 2018
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August 2018
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July 2018
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June 2018
