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Service Learning Spotlight- Sarah Wulff

Jemin Patel (Class of 2018): A journey of hard work, passion and striving for excellence

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. Yet his story started sometime before this, when he was selected to attend the large, 100-acre Academy through a full scholarship.  

Growing up, Jemin’s access to quality education was very limited. The Class of 2018’s alumnus grew up in the small town of Madhapur, Kutch and attended a government school with limited resources and poor quality of education. However, in 2013, Jemin was selected to join the Academy through its Talent Identification Programme, which provides exceptional students with an international-standard education and leadership opportunities, regardless of their ability to pay. This would prove to be an exciting journey for Jemin; however, it also came with its challenges.  

Starting in the Academy as a Grade 8 student, Jemin felt all the nervousness of moving to a new place and starting at a new school. He felt out of place, not knowing whether he would succeed. Although he knew this would be difficult, he embraced the notion of working hard, instead of working smarter.  

“I’ve learnt that hard work always wins,” he said. “People say, ‘work smart, not hard’. I could not disagree more. Working smart makes you efficient, whereas working hard with a focused mindset makes you a high performer.”  

During his time at the Academy, Jemin focused on fulfilling one of his biggest goals: speaking and thinking in fluent English. He used several shows including, Shark Tank, Friends and How I Met Your Mother to pick up phrases, expressions and the flow of language. He also discovered a love of music through listening to Taylor Swift, Troye Sivan, Vance Joy, Imagine Dragons and many more. Alongside fulfilling goals and self-discovery, the Academy became a second home for Jemin, who still recalls the “heated but harmless” debates he had with his friends during meals – one of his favourite moments at the Academy. Another fond memory for Jemin was finding out he had received a scholarship to the Schulich School of Business at York University in Canada through the support he got from the Academy’s university counselling department. He remembers collapsing in tears, hugging every person he saw including teachers, students and guards.  

After accepting the scholarship, Jemin started his new life in Canada, which consisted of new friends, classes, environments and much more. However, in this life, Jemin was also able to own his queer identity. Deciding to keep this private at the Academy, he started to embrace his authentic self while at university, which led him to create several foundations for LGBTQ+ students at Schulich. From a student-led club called Schulich Pride Alliance to a nationwide pride conference with over 33 corporate sponsors and 100+ delegates, Jemin successfully created a space to support other queer students as he did not want anyone else to struggle finding their place. Now, the nationwide pride conference – known as SPECTRUM – takes place every year, which Jemin is proud to call his legacy.  

Although it has been five years since he graduated, Jemin continues to visit the Academy to coach and interact with students. He expressed how he felt like a big brother passing on the torch and imparting wisdom he would have loved to have during his time at the Academy. During his most recent visit, Jemin met the founder of the newly formed SAGE (Sexuality and Gender Expression) club at the Academy and felt so proud of the students. 

Now, working at one of Canada’s top accounting and consulting firms, Ernst & Young, specialising in audit and assurance services, Jemin still stands by the notion, “hard work always wins.” 

“It’s not about perfection, it’s about striving for excellence,” he said. “Putting in a focused and genuine effort into everything you do is all that matters.” 

Interview conducted by DP2 student Samhitha Paruchuri from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad.

His Highness the Aga Khan’s birthday @ Academy – 13 December 2016

We wish our Founder a beautiful day and year full of peace, joy and gratitude and will be celebrating this momentous event with Academy wide activities.

Taxonomy family: 
Hyderabad

His Highness the Aga Khan's birthday - Thursday 13th December

In honour of our founder's birthday, the Academy will close early. Students & staff will depart at 1pm. 

Taxonomy family: 
Hyderabad

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.

Master debater Aryan Srivastava of grade 11 spearheads MUN team

Aryan Srivastava, of grade 11, studied in Kolkata prior to attending the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad. His innate love of learning led him to the Academy, where he has developed a passion for Model United Nations (MUN) and for public speaking in general. He currently serves as the vice-chair of MUN at the Academy.
 
Aryan’s favorite subject is History, taught by Ms. Priyodarshini Das. “It’s not a traditional class – not write on the board, copy in your notebook,” he remarked. “We have opinionated discussions.” The DP1 student had received advice from his seniors about which classes he would enjoy the most. “Every single one of them told me that I would never forget the experiences in my history class. I can already see that they were right.” 
 
Last year (January 2017), Aryan organized the Model United Nations conference designed exclusively for juniors as part his MYP Personal Project. “I wanted to offer the same chances I’ve had to participate in MUN to the younger classes.” During the process, he learnt a lot of lessons on teamwork, interfacing between different groups, time management and multi-tasking. “Before stepping into the conference that I organized, I never thought that I would have what it takes to lead. Throughout my educational career I was told that a good leader was the opposite of what I was. Throughout the process of organizing the conference, I learned what went into being a good leader. It wasn’t just telling everybody what to do. It was compromise, respect and most of all, a burning passion for the art of debate. Being able to stand in front of 250 students and fulfilling the opportunity to give them what I had been given, was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life."

What’s next for our expert debater? “I really want to get into law and politics,” answers Aryan. “I think MUN has prepared me a lot for that. Plus, I’m passionate about world events.” 

Srivastava attended IIMUN (India International MUN) – the world’s largest MUN conference – held at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, in August 2017. The experience helped solidify his big dreams. He hopes to attend Columbia Law School and explore more of what New York has to offer. We know you can do it, Aryan! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: A Musical by AKA,H Students

Kashyap Gohel (Class of 2011): Providing solutions to improve the world

"In developed countries many good ideas are funded while great ideas in developing countries are missed out on. I would focus on education and provide forums on creativity and innovation that listen to everyone’s ideas. This would go a long way to improving the planet," says Kashyap Pravin Gohel, a graduate from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, when asked what he would focus on to improve the lives of people if he had all the resources at his disposal.

Kashyap Gohel has been pursuing a Bachelor of Architecture programme at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Nairobi, Kenya since graduating from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa in 2011.  "My top marks at the Aga Khan Academy earned me a government scholarship which is about 85% of the annual fees for my architecture course of six years," says Kashyap very proudly. He expects to graduate from JKUAT in June 2017.

"I think the main values the Academy instilled in me were positive attitude, time management, assertiveness, competitive spirit and self-confidence. These are values that I apply on a day-to-day basis to form the foundation of a successful career in art, product design and architecture," Kashyap says confidently. He also adds that the confidence that his skill set gives him takes him further than most in trying challenging and new projects in his field. With this experience in mind he says, "I am sure I shall be quite a pioneer in creating world-changing ideas."

Kashyap believes the coursework at his university and his time management are going smoothly due to the intense training at the Aga Khan Academy. "Coming from the Academy, I believe it set me a level ahead of others, enabling me to go further than my fellow students." He also values the International Baccalaureate curriculum. "It is the only system that I know of that makes it possible for one to develop holistically. One does not just learn academics, but also extracurricular activities, leadership skills, developing talents and solving community problems," he says emphatically.

Since graduating from the Aga Khan Academy, Kashyap has participated in many major events and activities that have brought him recognition and accolades. He was a winner of  the Perstorp Open Innovation Challenge 2016 in Sweden which involved submitting ideas on making, repairing and remolding furniture into new shapes and designs rather than disposing of used or broken pieces in landfills. Kashyap has also won the Disruption by Design Award for architectural design in 2015. Other accomplishments include being awarded a tender to create a 14-foot-tall carving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya in 2014 and winning the first round of the Thought for Food Challenge 2013 – an annual competition that challenges university students to develop an innovative solution to improve food security. He also won an international graphic design contest for an Irish boat-making company and has displayed his artwork at Diani Beach Art gallery, Tazama Art Gallery and Kenya Art Fair. 

Kashyap was also nominated and sponsored to attend the One Young World conferences in Pittsburgh, USA in 2012, and in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2013. These summits gather the brightest young leaders from around the world, empowering them to make lasting connections and develop solutions to some of the world's most pressing issues.

Kashyap is particularly proud of his first community service project, called Project Desert Farms. He designed this as an architectural solution to help communities on the coast to filter ocean water, obtain housing and food, and reduce deforestation. This project was selected as a finalist project from a worldwide participation of 140 teams, and the only one in Africa that made it to the Thought for Food Global Summit in Berlin, Germany.

While at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa and after graduating in 2011, Kashyap has been actively involved in many projects and volunteer activities and has also worked for the Academy and other companies in his field. In 2011 he worked with planning and construction management at the Aga Khan Academy. He also volunteered there as a theatre teacher for years 7–10 in 2012 and was involved in the design of two of the Academy’s residential blocks.

Kashyap's most unforgettable experience at the Academy was being a dorm captain in the residential programme. "One of the things I miss about the Academy is the organisation…[and the] efficient order in the way it operates," he comments. Another thing he misses about the Academy is the facilities. "It’s only after leaving the Academy that you appreciate the constant high speed Wi-Fi, adequate number of desks and chairs for students, high-class sports facilities and equipment, and most of all the great ocean climate and friendly people. As they say, nothing beats home," Kashyap reminisces nostalgically.

Africa’s Dream Youth Basketball Tournament 2017

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