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.
Personal Project Spotlight - Sweni Hamid
Personal Project Spotlight - Ziyan Parbatani
Personal Project Spotlight - Nasreen Azimi
Personal Project Spotlight - Aashna Lakhani
Rudra Potluri - dreaming up the future
Rudra Aryan Potluri entered his second year of the Diploma Programme in August 2018, but he already has the makings of an academic. Unlike other academics, however, his studies aren’t purely theoretical. “My favourite extracurricular activity is engineering,” he says, “I spend most of my free time building robots, quadcopters, drones and smart home systems.”
Rudra has grown into himself since joining the Academy in 2013, most notably through the enrichment programme through which he discovered robotics and design. His work with robots stems from his enthusiasm for engineering, but Rudra has gone beyond just tinkering. “When I was learning robotics as part of enrichment, I never imagined that I would become captain of a robotics team,” said Rudra. Rudra captained a robotics team in January 2018 at the FIRST Lego League competition in Bengaluru. This was the first ever robotics competition that Academy students entered in.
“It didn’t stop there,” he continues, “the Academy provided a platform for me and my team to share our learning and knowledge with the community by letting us conduct a workshop for government schools.” Rudra was part of a team that hosted 48 grade six students for a day, teaching them about robotics and design. “The most unique thing about the Academy is that it doesn’t just stop at teaching, it makes sure that students apply their knowledge in the real world and give something back to society.” Rudra also participated in the Chinna Shodha Yatra, travelling around rural Andhra Pradesh to understand nuances of life in local communities.
In 2014, India's ambitious Mars Orbitor Mission came to fruition and Rudra had the opportunity to take part in a live telecast discussion about the mission on state TV. The following year, Rudra was selected as a Microsoft student ambassador and got to attend a workshop at the Microsoft headquarters in New Delhi. In grade 10, he used his MYP personal project as a chance to explore his interests in engineering and software and built a home automation system. "My aim was to make it for my grandparents, who are older and can’t move around as easily anymore,” he says about the Smarthome Automation System. His SAS, at ₹2,000 per room, is a cost effective alternative to existing systems in the market, which can cost upwards of ₹70,000. In the same year, Rudra showed initiative in his design project, choosing to build a quadcopter. The drone was created to support the Academy's existing security system.
In May 2018, outside robotics events, Rudra also headed the IT and design unit of the Academy’s first ever TEDx. It comes as no surprise then to know that Rudra is considering studying computer engineering after school. Rudra has applied to the Michigan Institute of Technology (MIT) in the USA, and the University of Waterloo, Canada.
Rudra earned a fellowship to spend the 2018 summer vacation in Ryerson University, Toronto, to take part in the Ryerson DMZ Sandbox Basecamp, a workshop for socially conscious young innovators. The urban university is a renowned research institution and we are positive Rudra's contribution will be significant and impactful.
November's Green Spotlight on Vasanthi Thandlam
Anjum Budhwani - living her dream
Anjum Budhwani, facilitator for grade 3K, has been at the Academy Junior School for seven years now and she has brought the same energy into her teaching since her first day. “Every day is rewarding for me as it was my dream to be here and I enjoy coming to the Academy,” she says.
Anjum has been teaching since the time she was an undergraduate student. She began as a volunteer at her community Religious Education Centre as part of the Institute for Ismaili studies’ Ta’lim programme, a course designed to introduce children to the faith, ethics, history and cultures of Muslim peoples and of the Ismaili community in particular. “Compassion builds a strong relationship between teacher and student,” she says. “If a teacher is caring and loving the student feels safe with her, and learning will happen successfully in turn.”
Anjum received her first bachelor’s degree in commerce from Hyderabad’s Osmania University, and went on to collect another bachelor’s in education followed by a master’s degree when she decided to become a teacher. Her aspiration was to join the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, and she realized this dream in 2012. “I feel elated when I hear people saying ‘She works at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad.' ” It was also her mother’s dream to see her daughter become a teacher.
Though she says every day at the Academy is special, some days have been more special than others. “I cherish the day when His Highness the Aga Khan was here on 15th April 2015,” beams Anjum, remembering some his words to our teachers. “He mentioned that there will be difficult times while you are teaching and learning and you will have failures during your journey of teaching. But remember the result and keep the goal in your mind that we are working towards creating future leaders and that it’s not going to be easy.” These words are a part of what inspire Anjum to teach at the Academy and to better herself as a facilitator to young students.
One of her favourite things about teaching at the AKA Hyderabad is discussing teaching practices with her colleagues. Anjum has imbibed the philosophy of being a lifelong learner; learning from her colleagues, she explains, has been key to her growth as a teacher. “We have regular and ongoing professional development, which has provided me with a lot of opportunities to improve myself,” shares Anjum. “Sharing best practices, professional development reading, action research and other platforms where we get to learn from each other gives us the chance to reflect on our learning and teaching process.”
These collaborative efforts have helped Anjum grow into the ideal PYP teacher who believes in giving her students voice, choice and ownership in their school work. “I design assessments and learning engagements with students in order to provide them with ownership and accountability in their learning.” Miss Anjum’s classroom is decorated with student input, with students also influencing their seating arrangement. In her class you will see the Innovation Corner, where students create new things from recycled material. Students of 3K have a duty list, where students are given charge of classroom resources like books and stationery. Giving students responsibility and ownership of their space this way helps allows them an early understanding of stewardship.
“She endeavors to exemplify stewardship through her actions,” says Academy Junior School Principal, Sreelatha Kumar. “Equanimity and her unquestionable commitment are her best qualities." Sreelatha adds that it is remarkable how Anjum deals with adults and children with the same grace and evenness.
It is very common that parents visiting the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad Junior School, upon seeing students in the sand pit or in the art room, wish that they could have done their primary education here. Should they peep into Miss Anjum’s grade 3 classroom, they will understand that it is teachers like her whom they missed having in school, because they are the ones who help create the idyllic aura of a primary school.
Written by Ajay Sundaram
Samson Suhas – swimming to a better life
“I came to this school searching for better opportunities and better facilities through which I can improve in sports and excel in music and studies,” says Samson. “I didn’t have these opportunities in my previous school and didn’t get a chance to play any sport.”
Samson Suhas Srungarapti, a grade 10 student at the Academy and a professional swimmer, represented Rangareddy district at the 2nd Telangana State Winter Aquatic Championship held in Khammam district in December 2016. He came away with the bronze medal in 100mts free style and a renewed desire to participate in not just regional, but national swimming tournaments. This was the first time he had participated in a state tournament.“I want to be an Olympic swimmer. I want to win medals in Olympics for India. And alternatively, I love music and would like to be a music director or a music teacher in the future,” expresses Samson, who trains at the Academy pool for four hours a day when school is on, and six during holidays. “My father is my coach and my role model. He is my inspiration for choosing sports as my career. Without his support and commitment, I wouldn’t have achieved as much as I have in my swimming career from when I started in December 2015 till today.”
Samson has joined a swimming club for extra support and to get his know his competition better. When he is not training, he enjoys playing football with his peers, and remembers the moment the school team won the interschool football tournament as one of the most rewarding experiences at school. His favourite subject is Mathematics, because he loves the challenge of solving a tough problem. Besides swimming, music is his other great love.
“I find the Aga Khan Academy very balanced in giving opportunities for students to develop their skills in academics as well as sports, and that is the most unique thing about this school.”
Samson feels confident of participating at a national level in 2017, and determined to continue working hard on his speed, endurance, and agility even if it involves longer training hours. He has his eyes set on the international swimming circuit, and we wish him all the very best!
The vision for Aga Khan Academy graduates
Students at an Academy pursue a well-balanced education combining intellectual inquiry, academic excellence, sporting and cultural activities, and a grounding in ethics and moral reasoning.
They are committed to rigour and self-discipline in their studies and subscribe to the principles of intellectual honesty in the preparation of their work.
They respect their teachers and fellow students. They extend their respect to the cultural, religious and political convictions of others in school and in society. They dedicate themselves to debate issues honestly and fairly. They aim to understand and recognise the value of other views even as they value their own.
They are self-aware and socially conscious. They are committed to the development of their communities, their nation and civil society in the world at large. They are motivated to help others less fortunate than themselves.
They strive to acquire knowledge as part of a balanced, lifelong process of inquiry that leads to intellectual and personal growth, as well as a means to fulfil material goals.
The mastery of a particular discipline is balanced by a broad knowledge of several subjects, including science, art, literature and music.
They are also citizens of the world and at ease in environments and settings other than their own. They are generous and tolerant towards other cultures and traditions.
They are bilingual or multilingual.
They embrace the rich diversity of the world while valuing their own identity.
Interested to know more about our graduates? See spotlights on our alumni
The vision for Aga Khan Academy graduates
Education at its best facilitates positive growth in all domains – intellectual, social, physical, ethical and spiritual – leading to the well-rounded development of the child. The Aga Khan Academies aim toward this ideal, and the values they espouse are reflected in each school’s aspirations for its students.
Students at an Academy pursue a well-balanced education combining intellectual inquiry, academic excellence, sporting and cultural activities, and a grounding in ethics and moral reasoning
They are committed to rigour and self-discipline in their studies and subscribe to the principles of intellectual honesty in the preparation of their work.
They respect their teachers and fellow students. They extend their respect to the cultural, religious and political convictions of others in school and in society. They dedicate themselves to debate issues honestly and fairly. They aim to understand and recognise the value of other views even as they value their own.
They are self-aware and socially conscious. They are committed to the development of their communities, their nation and civil society in the world at large. They are motivated to help others less fortunate than themselves.
They strive to acquire knowledge as part of a balanced, lifelong process of inquiry that leads to intellectual and personal growth, as well as a means to fulfil material goals.
The mastery of a particular discipline is balanced by a broad knowledge of several subjects, including science, art, literature and music.
They are also citizens of the world and at ease in environments and settings other than their own. They are generous and tolerant towards other cultures and traditions.
They are bilingual or multilingual.
They embrace the rich diversity of the world while valuing their own identity.
Read more here.
Interested to know more about our graduates? See spotlights on our alumni
