HYDERABAD: Seventy-seven students of the Class of 2025 graduated from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad on Saturday evening, in a ceremony that brought together families, faculty, alumni, international guests and senior officials including IT minister D Sridhar Babu. His daughter, Aditha Duddilla Sripadarao, was among the graduates.Speaking after the ceremony, the minister said, “As a proud parent of my daughter here who has just finished her graduation, I appreciate all the efforts taken by the teachers, the faculty and the management. When they enter into this world, they will make a meaningful purpose for their life.”He added that Aditha had received admission offers from colleges both in India and abroad but preferred to pursue her undergraduate education in the country. “Whatever she chooses, ultimately she has to become a dutiful and responsible citizen, especially for our country,” he said.The event opened with remarks from Dr Jonathan Long, Head of Academy, who described the graduating cohort as exceptional in their intellect, sense of community and global outlook. “We honour our graduates, but also the collective effort of a community that believes deeply in the power of education to make a difference,” he said. He addressed the 77 graduates with a metaphor, holding up a glass filled with matchsticks. “Each of these simple, worthless sticks of wood has been coated with something remarkable… We have allowed you to experience a set of values and beliefs. Your task is to take what you have been given and to strike a light.” He concluded, “Go out into the world as light in dark places, as warmth in cold places.”Shiraz Vastani, chairman of the Aga Khan Education Service, India, drew on the academy’s founding vision and reminded students of their role in society. “Today we gather to celebrate not just your academic accomplishments, but the events potential you hold to contribute meaningfully to global societies,” he said.He acknowledged that the Class of 2025 had secured over 300 university admission offers across 14 countries, including 51 to QS Top 100 universities, and had received scholarships worth more than $6.3 million.The keynote address was delivered by Meaghan Blight, president of Wesleyan College in the United States, the first college in the world chartered to confer degrees on women. She called for courage and service as guiding values in a time of uncertainty. “When young people lead with integrity, they don’t just lift themselves up. They lift their communities too,” she said. Blight also praised the partnership between Wesleyan College and the Aga Khan Academies, which has resulted in full and partial scholarships for female IB students.Among the Class of 2025 were six students who had been with the Academy since Grade. The graduating students described the Academy as a space that encouraged experimentation and rigour. Nehasvita Veeramachaneni, who has been at the school since Grade 7, said, “There were more than 50 enrichment clubs offered every week. I explored so many things like dance, painting, MUN… It helped me figure out what I really enjoyed.” Shyamacharan Brahmanapalli, who is going to pursue a BSc Honours in Chemistry said, “I’ve developed critical thinking here. It helped me understand complex ideas I would have struggled with otherwise.”
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