Celebrating the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa’s Class of 2022

The Aga Khan Academy Mombasa celebrated 69 exceptional young students at a graduation ceremony on Saturday, 21 May 2022. The remarkable students in this cohort were exposed to a unique learning experience involving a mixture of online, hybrid and in-person learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, the students succeeded in completing their International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme journey studies. Although held in-person, the ceremony was also livestreamed for additional family members, alumni, the Aga Khan Academies network and the wider community to commemorate the Class of 2022, reaching over 4,000 people from Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Portugal, Tajikistan and many more countries.

During the opening remarks, Head of Academy Alison Hampshire spoke of the students’ diverse approaches to problem solving, their growth and resilience during and after the pandemic, and their perseverance.

 “You had to grow up quickly online, you had to be resilient and self-disciplined – to adapt to a more independent learning environment, and then you came back to campus, which had its own challenges. You are a product of the unique Academy education you received, the sum total of the experiences you have had, good and bad. Experiences that you will take with you when you leave. You are all potential changemakers and as you leave the Academy you will be joining a global network of leaders who have graduated from the Academies. Each of you with your special attributes bring possibility to the future. You are a generation that grew up online and survived a pandemic.”

The Class of 2022 was offered over $7 million in scholarships to attend prestigious universities around the world including Princeton University, Dartmouth College, Brown University, University of Pennsylvania, Middlebury College, University of British Columbia, University College London and Monash University amongst many others. Some graduates are also pursuing renowned pre-college summer programmes, such as at Harvard University.

The keynote speaker for this year’s graduation was alumnus Danish Dhamani, who graduated from the Academy in 2013 and is the CEO and co-founder of Orai, a public speaking app. Last year, the app and its founders were recognised by Forbes magazine, with Danish and his co-founders listed in the magazine’s 30 Under 30 2021 list  – a prestigious list that shines a spotlight on entrepreneurs under 30 from different sectors. Using the skills and knowledge they gained from the Academy, Danish encouraged the Class of 2022 to pursue happiness. 

“As a society, we don't do a good enough job in answering two questions: what should I do in my life? Am I happy with what I'm doing currently? By using the Japanese principle Ikigai and reflecting on the four components iteratively, trusting your gut feeling and learning to read your emotions, you will find magic in your life.”

On behalf of the Academies network, we wish the graduating Class of 2022 the best of success in all their future endeavours. The Aga Khan Academy Mombasa's Class of 2022 graduation is available to watch online here.