Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad - Student Voices

It was September 2015, when a 13-year old boy stepped onto a plane which was flying from Dubai to Hyderabad. The boy was not from Dubai; it was a connecting flight from Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. That day the boy had left his home-country behind for the first time. Once the plane landed in Hyderabad, all sorts of thoughts were rushing through his head, thoughts about the smell of the place, new food, different people, but little did he know that in 5 years he was going to be transformed into a completely different person, with new principles and understandings of the world.

As you might have already guessed that boy was me. When I first came to the Academy, I was only 13 years old and I wasn’t really sure what I was going to do with my life. The moment I stepped into the gates of the Academy; my life would never be the same anymore. It was very dark when we reached, but I could sense that the Academy was enormous. No wonder, 100 acres is not a little number, as we found out. Waking up the next morning was magical because I was really excited to know what the campus looked like. Lots of greenery and wild forests left untouched made the place look very peaceful and welcoming. Such a strong connection with nature was new to me, but I was happy about it.

Later I started my classes with the teachers and new classmates. New language, new people, new faces, new subjects, and of course, new me. It took me a while to settle down and adjust to the place, but with the help of my very kind friends and dorm parents that task felt like a piece of a cake. Not long after, I fell in love, I fell in love with my life at the Academy. I woke up every morning looking forward to learning something new and becoming a better person. There was progress being made, both planned and unplanned.

Looking back now, 5 years later, I cannot see the little boy in the mirror anymore, instead, I see a mature young man. I have learnt so much from my classes, but the learning doesn’t end there. I have learnt how to build relationships with friends, teachers, staff members – they could be working in the kitchen or in the laundry, each of them have taught me something. I have a clear goal in my mind. I have transformed mentally and physically, thanks to the gym facilities that are available on the campus. The man I see in the mirror now would never be the same if it wasn’t for the Academy.

Several people ask me this question, given a chance to go back in time, would I still choose to leave home and familiarity, to come study in Hyderabad at the Academy? My answer is always YES.

I have discovered my passion for the performing arts, fitness and economics, and I have met such wonderful people here at the academy, that the question above is almost silly for me to answer. I feel very grateful for this opportunity and hope to make the best out of it.

Hopefully, this place keeps transforming little children, once like me, with no clear goals in life into men and women striving for happiness and building their own paths to success.

I am proud to be at AKA Hyderabad.

Muzaffar Buzurgmehr

DP2