Aly Jassani: Accepted to University of California, Berkeley

Aly Jassani, who joined the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa in 2016, has been accepted to the University of California, Berkeley in the United States to pursue a degree in Financial Economics with a minor in Computer Science.

When he got news of his admission, Aly said he was elated. “I was ecstatic once I found out I had been accepted into Berkeley. I am so grateful that my experience at the Academy has offered me this wonderful opportunity.”

In his time at the Academy, Aly was presented with opportunities in leadership and entrepreneurship, which gave him platforms to start initiatives that would better serve the community. He served as the Student Representative Council President and was involved in Service Learning and creativity, activity, service projects geared towards fostering a sustainable community such as Ocean and Sustainability, which advocated for cleaner oceans by teaching students in local schools about microplastics and ocean acidification. He also participated as a speaker and executive in TEDxYouth@AKAMombasa, founded the Trading Club and showed his cricket prowess as a captain of the Academy’s cricket team all while maintaining good grades.

Aly is now excited to try out new things and to see what the world has to offer as he begins his new journey at university.  One valuable lesson he said he has learnt at AKA Mombasa is to be a risk taker.  “The Academy has taught me to try out things without the fear of failing because that is how you learn and grow.”