International Baccalaureate - Diploma Programme
International Baccalaureate - Diploma Programme
Taniya Dharani - alumna returned as visual arts fellow
“The Academy has made me the person I am today,” she says. “I wanted to give back to the Academy what it has given me.” After graduating from the Diploma Programme, Taniya went on to pick up a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Reading, England. In her current role at the Academy, Taniya wants to help visual arts students prepare for university level art courses. It’s also on her agenda to introduce art students to careers in their field that they might not have considered.
“I want to help give our Diploma Programme art students theoretical practice that will be useful at university,” she says. “I also want to help visual art students understand what opportunities the art world outside holds for them; artistic pathways they can opt for including business and law options in sectors that not everyone is aware of.”
Though she has her task laid out in front of her, returning to the Academy in her new role is understandably strange for Taniya. “I still feel like a student at heart,” she says. “But I’ve learnt to act like a teacher and take responsibilities.” Taniya understands that her experience as a student at the Academy puts her in a unique place of understanding in her current role as teacher. “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to see Academy life from a different light this time. Now I understand the day to day challenges teachers face, as well as the hardships of student life.”
Taniya fondly remembers her time as a student at the Academy. When she graduated, Taniya was the only student in the visual arts department. “I really enjoyed visual arts in school. Being the only student, I had the entire art studio and Ms. Meenakshi to myself.” She is referring to Meenakshi Joshi, who is now MYP coordinator in the Senior School. She also remembers history classes with Koel Ray, and service opportunities at old age homes and government schools that taught her humility and empathy.
However, her most cherished memory at the Academy is meeting His Highness the Aga Khan. At the inauguration ceremony of the Academy in 2014, Taniya had the opportunity to show and discuss her art work with HH. “It was the most precious gift that I ever received and a memory that has helped me hold onto my passion.”
In her personal life, Taniya cites her father as her source of inspiration. It is a common trope that parents discourage their children from pursuing a career in the arts, but this wasn’t the case for Taniya. “Despite people not understanding my passion for painting, he [Taniya’s father] always stood by me and helped me achieve my goals,” she says. Taniya is also proud of her father’s efforts in community service and the life he has led. “His struggles and achievements inspire me. It makes me want to do great things.”
“Growing up I realised that the only thing that ignited a fire in me was holding a paintbrush in my hands and dropping paint all over my clothes. It made me feel like all is well in my world, even when almost everything in life was falling apart.” Taniya 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.
Written by Ajay Sundaram
Anjum Budhwani - living her dream
Anjum has been teaching since the time she was an undergraduate student. She began as a volunteer at her community Religious Education Centre as part of the Institute for Ismaili studies’ Ta’lim programme, a course designed to introduce children to the faith, ethics, history and cultures of Muslim peoples and of the Ismaili community in particular. “Compassion builds a strong relationship between teacher and student,” she says. “If a teacher is caring and loving the student feels safe with her, and learning will happen successfully in turn.”
Anjum received her first bachelor’s degree in commerce from Hyderabad’s Osmania University, and went on to collect another bachelor’s in education followed by a master’s degree when she decided to become a teacher. Her aspiration was to join the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, and she realized this dream in 2012. “I feel elated when I hear people saying ‘She works at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad.' ” It was also her mother’s dream to see her daughter become a teacher.
Though she says every day at the Academy is special, some days have been more special than others. “I cherish the day when His Highness the Aga Khan was here on 15th April 2015,” beams Anjum, remembering some his words to our teachers. “He mentioned that there will be difficult times while you are teaching and learning and you will have failures during your journey of teaching. But remember the result and keep the goal in your mind that we are working towards creating future leaders and that it’s not going to be easy.” These words are a part of what inspire Anjum to teach at the Academy and to better herself as a facilitator to young students.
One of her favourite things about teaching at the AKA Hyderabad is discussing teaching practices with her colleagues. Anjum has imbibed the philosophy of being a lifelong learner; learning from her colleagues, she explains, has been key to her growth as a teacher. “We have regular and ongoing professional development, which has provided me with a lot of opportunities to improve myself,” shares Anjum. “Sharing best practices, professional development reading, action research and other platforms where we get to learn from each other gives us the chance to reflect on our learning and teaching process.”
These collaborative efforts have helped Anjum grow into the ideal PYP teacher who believes in giving her students voice, choice and ownership in their school work. “I design assessments and learning engagements with students in order to provide them with ownership and accountability in their learning.” Miss Anjum’s classroom is decorated with student input, with students also influencing their seating arrangement. In her class you will see the Innovation Corner, where students create new things from recycled material. Students of 3K have a duty list, where students are given charge of classroom resources like books and stationery. Giving students responsibility and ownership of their space this way helps allows them an early understanding of stewardship.
“She endeavors to exemplify stewardship through her actions,” says Academy Junior School Principal, Sreelatha Kumar. “Equanimity and her unquestionable commitment are her best qualities." Sreelatha adds that it is remarkable how Anjum deals with adults and children with the same grace and evenness.
It is very common that parents visiting the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad Junior School, upon seeing students in the sand pit or in the art room, wish that they could have done their primary education here. Should they peep into Miss Anjum’s grade 3 classroom, they will understand that it is teachers like her whom they missed having in school, because they are the ones who help create the idyllic aura of a primary school.
Written by Ajay Sundaram
Isla Gordon Joins AKA, Mombasa as the New Principal of the Junior School
Samir Panjwani Joins AKA, Mombasa
Naheed Bardai's closing remarks at AKA, Mombasa's Class of 2015 graduation
The Cabinet Secretary of Education for Mombasa County, Mr. Tendai, Dr. Bentil, Mr. Bhatia, Mr. Otieno, Graduates, Parents, faculty and invited guests, thank you for taking the time to grace this occasion.
Dr. Bentil, thank you for your inspirational words and guidance, especially towards our graduates.
Joshua, thank you for your insights into the operations of our graduating class, including the things we didn’t – and I’m not sure I really wanted to know!
It is now my pleasure to present the The Aga Khan Academy Award of Excellence. The Aga Khan Academy Award of Excellence is given to the most outstanding male and female student in DP2 each year. This award is given to the top overall male and female contributors to academics and student life, and who best exhibit the AKA Learner Profile upon graduation in DP2. The award considers students’ achievements and contributions in DP1 and DP2. I will start with the female recipient.
Courageous, charismatic and pluralistic, the female recipient of the Award is a role model student. Academically, she is an inquirer with an insatiable thirst for knowledge. With a community-driven outlook and approach, she has managed to find the right balance in pursuing activities that benefit the community while also enabling her to grow. As an accomplished scientist, she earned a gold medal in an international science competition presenting her innovative low-cost water purifier that she carried through from her MYP Personal Project. As a celebrated artist, she has organized dance recitals and written and acted in her own play. Having recently suffered from a difficult illness prior to and during the examination session, she demonstrated the heart and resilience of a true leader. Next year, she will be pursuing her passion in Theatre at New York University in New York on a full tuition scholarship. Please join me in congratulating this year’s female recipient of the Aga Khan Academy Award of Excellence, Karishma Bhagani.
Passionate, socially conscious, and scholarly, the male recipient of the Award is one of the most inspiring students I have had the pleasure of working with. The owner of a true growth mindset, he is never satisfied with the status quo and is always looking to better himself in every way. His deeply held belief in equity and social justice manifest itself in all that he does. Coming from modest means and part of our Talent Identification programme, his humble and unassuming style makes him approachable and an inspiration to all, making us believe that one can overcome life’s obstacles. In many ways, this young man has been the maker of his own destiny. A dedicated researcher and scientist, this student completed his Extended Essay in World Studies looking at the relationship between agricultural productivity and household income in his local community. In addition, he placed third in an international science competition for his work in creating a generator that could produce 50 watts of clean energy using magnets. A former Student Representative Council executive member and current Dorm Captain, he has been a big brother to many. Receiving a full Mastercard Scholarship to study engineering at the University of Toronto, please join me in congratulating this year’s male recipient of the Aga Khan Academy Award of Excellence, Maxwin Ojwang.
Graduates, you have just conquered one of the most important rites of passage – sitting for two hours without sending a tweet, making a comment on Facebook or posting a picture on Instagram. Parents, this is clearly evidence that your sons and daughters are capable of unplugging while at home over their much deserved break. Graduates, you will soon have the chance to get caught up on all of your favourite series, play video games until your fingers fall off, and watch viral videos of strange animals doing strange things. You deserve this break, just as you deserve this ceremony in your honour. Just yesterday, these graduates surmounted a real milestone – their IB examinations. Graduates, I have seen you study harder than any other cohort I have known; I have seen you band together as colleagues and friends to support one-another in times of need; I have seen the joy on your face when you open that exam script and see the exact question you were hoping for; I have seen you curse those exact same exam papers; and as a class, I have seen you consume the most amount of coffee and sugar of any graduating class. Graduates, this is one of many rites of passage that you will undergo in your life. And as you go off to be a leading economist or entrepreneur who helps to find a way to bridge the poverty gap or solves Greece’s economic crisis, or that innovative scientist or engineer who finds a solution to our most pressing health or energy concerns, or that artist who helps us to reflect on our own identity, or that politician striving to create a more inclusive society – be humble and be brave. Be humble and be brave.
The greatest challenge that I believe you will face is not writing that university exam, getting that dream job, or finding a partner – the greatest challenge you will face will be challenges that test your moral compass – that test your integrity – that test your character. Will you have the capacity to forgive even when someone has let you down or stabbed you in the back? Can you have the patience and intellectual humility to invite multiple points of view, even if they disagree with your own? Will you be a good parent to your child? Will you be a good son or daughter to your parents?
To make matters even more complex in the challenges to your character is our ability to operate ‘in cognito’ online. We can do things through an email, text, tweet or photo that will self-destruct in 5 seconds that we would never dream of doing in person. While this relatively new way of relating to one-another has tremendous potential, we cannot hide behind the anonymity afforded to us so easily through technology, holding ourselves to different ethical standards.
That being said, if the last six years that I have had the privilege of working with many of you are anything to go by, I know that your moral compass is strong. Having spent a significant amount of time with all of you, I trust that the future of our communities and countries are in very capable hands.
Ladies and Gentlemen, these graduates are stars and are outstanding in so many ways. 9 of them helped to form our first Year 1 class in 2003, and many more have joined along the way. This cohort formed our first residential group in 2009, and marked the beginning of our robust Talent Identification and Financial Aid programmes. These graduates were the first to go through our mentorship and leadership programmes in 2011, and formed our largest ever Diploma class in 2013. Your combination of intellectual fervour, pursuit of social justice, excellence in athletics, creativity in the arts and inspirational leadership has left an undeniable mark on this school. Indeed, your success is all of our success, and other than your parents, there is nobody more proud of your accomplishments than your teachers. From the PYP to MYP and DP, these inspiring educators have helped to nurture your creativity, sharpen your critical thinking, develop your passions, and hone your moral compass. Graduates, please join me in thanking all of your teachers. I would like to thank all of those who have helped along the way – the nurses, kitchen staff, IT department, maintenance teams, drivers, admin staff and librarians. Without you, none of this would be possible.
To conclude, I would like to quote His Highness The Aga Khan from a recent speech he made in Nairobi at the Aga Khan University graduation. He said, “This is not a Farewell Ceremony. In fact, an event like this is often called a “Commencement”, since it marks the beginning of so many great new stories. We hope that you too will share your stories with us, in the days ahead.” On that same note, I would like to acknowledge and thank our many alumni who have joined us today for this ceremony.
Once again graduates, we wish you well and congratulations. Thank you.
AKA Mombasa student project receives entrepreneurial grant from Wesleyan University
Latest Teacher Preparation Programme (TPP) cohort celebrates graduation ceremony at AKA Mombasa
Aga Khan Academy Mombasa student receives Diana Award
