“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.” 

Hyd 20180611 Harshita Devavarapu

Harshita Devavarapu, who is in grade 9 at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, chose to attend the Academy because “it is the best IB school with beautiful infrastructure and green surroundings.” She finds the diversity of the students at the Academy very welcoming and the colorful and vibrant environment attractive. She enjoys going through the day with her friends. “I don’t think I can pick out one part of the day – each class is equally challenging as well as fun and educative,” she says. “I love the buzz in the commons during lunch, the quiet calm in the mornings and the excited chatter as well as the tired murmurs at the roundabout at the end of the day,” she explains poetically.

Harshita felt accomplished the day she won the best delegate award in the Model United Nations (MUN) Historical Security Council committee. She found MUN 2017 really challenging as she was in a committee with lot of seniors. The moment her name was called out, she says, “The happiness, the hard work that I put in for those three days was really worth it.”  She also enjoys a healthy debate and loves the art of argument, “So when I got an award for something like this, I felt like I was on top of the moon,” she says proudly.

“I would say that my favorite subject is Individuals & Societies, because that is the only subject in which I can understand the past, its relevance to the present and also the way the past can affect the future.” The relationship between different events, the science of humans and the mysteries of time have always allured Harshita; she likes studying humanities because she feels as though “the flame of her curiosity is being stoked.” She also likes physical education and enrichment as they introduce a different approach to learning and give her a break from her routine timetable. In her first year at the Academy, Harshita focused her PYP exhibition in the area of women’s rights. The in-depth research she undertook and the people she encountered during her research made her decide to dedicate a part of her time to help women.

Harshita’s favorite extracurricular activities are music and Model United Nations. “Music is my escape – when I am having trouble expressing myself; I always turn to music… MUN on the other hand is equally exhilarating, it challenges your ideas of what is right and wrong,” she remarks. “When I take part in MUN, I understand that there is no black and white when it comes to global politics. I often get lost in the complexity of the committee,” she adds.

As for her future career plans, Harshita is thinking about either studying corporate or international law and joining the United Nations. “I am aware that not everything will turn out exactly the way I want it to, but I see myself as a successful lawyer,” she says optimistically.

She mentions Ellen DeGeneres, a daytime television host and philanthropist as one of her role models. She was attracted to her motto – “Be kind to one another.” Harshita believes that it is important “to be the best version of myself and to help out people, without expecting anything in return.”