Born and raised in Kabul, Afghanistan, Diana Nazari was taught the importance of education and service to others. Being a part of the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad for the past six years, these values have been emphasised to her during her time at the Academy. Now, she hopes to pay it forward as she attends Brown University, a private and Ivy League university, with a complete scholarship in fall 2021.

Sincere, kind and down-to-earth. These are some of the words many at the Academy have repeatedly used to describe the Diploma Coordinator of the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad.

''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 that 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.”

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.

"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."

“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."

Aanya Athota, grade 4K, is currently the youngest student being accepted to appear for the highest graded music examination conducted by the prestigious Trinity College London. She dreams of becoming a global music icon and spreading peace through music to make our world a better place.

One day, a friend taught Ananya, grade 3, how to do a cartwheel. There was no turning back, and she recently won gold medals at two city competitions in 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.”

“The Academy has a very unique, highly diverse and multicultural environment,” says 2018 graduate,Tvisha Devavarapu. Set to pursue a career in biology and research, read about this house captain's experience studying and playing at the Academy.

Harshita, a grade 9 student at the Academy in Hyderabad, is determined and full of optimism. She shares, “I will always dedicate a part of my time to help the women who so selflessly pave the way for the development of our nation. My learning at the Academy has really improved my research skills and my communication skills and has given me the confidence to pursue my dreams of becoming a lawyer.”

The Teacher Preparation Programme (TPP) is one of the Aga Khan Academies’ landmark teacher development initiatives. In this interview with Kamini Menon at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, TPP participant Maryam talks about the TPP’s unique aspects and her experience with the programme.

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."

Kelvin Bagthariya, a second-year Diploma student at Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, believes the Academy has changed his mindset, teaching him to become independent, improving his self-esteem and allowing him to pursue his passion to make a change in his community.

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."

"I can’t be racing while I’m on campus, so I decided to become an automotive journalist and am now the head author of an automotive blog, 'The Drive Hub.' "

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.

“To me, being ethical and humble are the most important things.”

“It’s been a great pleasure to share my previous teaching experience here at the Academy,” commented Surendra. “The Academy is filled with enthusiasm when it comes to sports, particularly swimming.”

“I wake up every morning and look forward to seeing my students in class.”

Sahir Devani, grade 11, shares his experience as an Academy representative at the IB World Student Conference held at King’s College London, from 6-12 August 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.

“For me, the best part of school is when we have service class, because I am very keen on serving my society and helping the community around me develop faster.” - Sazil Ramani, grade 10, Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad.

“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.

"I wish to continue sharing my knowledge, what I have learned and will continue to learn, with my society."

"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."