Russell De Valois Scholar: Aanya Chadha
Russel de Valois 2021-23 – Scholarship
Recipient Name : Aanya Chadha | Grade : 11 | Awarded for 2 years
At KIS, we truly believe that learning happens in many forms. When your roommate is from a different culture or nationality and your friend is from a different background, we learn through our differences and this is fundamental to shaping a child’s worldview and perspectives. As of today, our student body comprises students from 23 different countries. About 25% of our students reside in international locations and represent 12 faiths. Of as much importance to us is social economic diversity in our community. Through our staff benefits policies, financial aid program and scholarship offerings, an approximate 150+ students are able to access a KIS education at a highly subsidized cost. The Russel de Valois Scholarship is a phenomenal program that helps KIS attract meritorious students into our IBDP program offering them a full scholarship through their two years of study at KIS.
Aanya Chadha was chosen as the recipient of the Russel de Valois Scholarship for the Academic Years 2021-23. Aanya was chosen from a pool of Indian students, aspiring to study at KIS however requiring substantial financial assistance. Aanya was chosen for her meritorious accomplishments apart from showing a deep interest in Football and Music. It is no surprise that Aanya continues to perform exceeding well at KIS. (AY 2022-23: 4.00; AY 2021-22 : 3.96)
Aanya has represented KIS in our U-19 Football teams in the annual Ooty Sports Tournament and also in our very own Kodi Football League, where KIS was placed runners up for the AY 22-23. Aanya’s dorm parent describers her as a charming young woman! She is very hard working and dedicated towards whatever she undertakes– be it academics or sports. Her teachers find her to be an intelligent, sincere, and hardworking student who has an inquiring mind and a positive attitude.
NOTE OF APPRECIATION FROM AANYA CHADHA
Dear Scholarship Committee,
As my time at KIS is coming to a close, I would like to express my deepest gratitude for the scholarship opportunity that has been provided to me. The financial assistance that I have received through this scholarship has been instrumental in allowing me to pursue my academic goals at KIS.
My experience at KIS has been truly transformative, and I am grateful for the opportunities that the scholarship program has provided me. These last few weeks have been especially pensive, it’s hard to believe that I have been here at KIS for almost two years now and will be leaving in less than a month. I have been able to take advantage of various academic and extracurricular activities that have helped me grow both personally and academically. Coming from a nuclear family myself, suddenly living with twenty seven other girls in a dorm was truly an invigorating experience, and I will cherish the tomfoolery we have created. From playing cricket with a piece of wood as a bat in the courtyard of our open dorm to continuing the legend of the ‘Kennedy Ghost’- this has been nothing short of a dream. From being able to sit on the hammock and just look up at the stars at three am to being denied the wish to cry alone, living in this dorm and developing and working on different kinds of relationships has transformed me as a person and has altered some of my beliefs. Just a few days ago us seniors had a rough day, it seemed as though nobody got any studying done that day and we needed a break. Eight of us crammed up in a single room and played UNO cards. We spiced it up with some really childish bets but I didn’t lose so I didn’t have to do the chicken dance. We got scolded multiple times by our dorm relief as technically it was study hour. After a bit we played cards and returned back to our respective rooms. I have gained a family here and I could not be more grateful for the sense of belonging I feel. The scholarship program has not only provided me with the financial support that I needed but also with a supportive community that has encouraged me to strive for excellence in all aspects of my life.
Thanks to this scholarship, I have been able to explore my academic interests and pursue my passion for learning. I successfully completed an Extended Essay in Higher Level Biology this year that boosted my love for this subject and learning in general. Spending three months solely conducting my experiment, while waiting for my fungi and bacteria to grow in the incubator and tediously repeating trials, I spent a lot of time at the lab and created fulfilling relationships with the lab assistant and the ‘aakas’ that help maintain the lab. Ms Jasmine (the biology and chemistry lab assistant) just happened to walk in when a set of 80 petri dishes showed no results. Miss saw my face, and gave me a hug, told me to take a break and come back the next day. I hope she knows how much that one interaction meant to me. The opportunities to engage with faculty members, participate in research projects, and attend conferences have been invaluable in helping me develop my intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills. Having recently received the subject awards for Biology, Chemistry, French, TOK, CAS and a ‘K’ for football, I have been flooded by so much love and encouragement that I am quite frankly overwhelmed. The eleventh-grade higher level Biology students have an in class formative tomorrow and two of the kids came up to me for help today since I received the Biology award. KIS has introduced me to a kind of pseudo mutualistic relationship with peers concerning academics, it’s a rather wholesome way to approach learning. We don’t let the fact that boys and girls reside in dorms on separate campuses stop us, being on a discord server or google meet with friends on East Hill (senior boys’ campus) or getting permission to go to Upper Boyer (senior girl dorm) at ten at night isn’t uncommon. Slipping and tripping (and pretending it never happened) on your way to Upper Boyer is also not uncommon. These academic pursuits in the IB diploma program have helped my future too, I have committed to University of California San Diego for Bioengineering: Bioinformatics (so excited!) which I believe would not be possible without my time here at KIS.
As I reflect on my time at KIS through the scholarship program, I feel immensely grateful for the experiences that I have gained here. The scholarship has provided me with a platform to pursue my dreams and make a positive impact in the world.
Once again, I would like to express my sincerest thanks to the Scholarship Committee for their generosity and support. I am truly honored to have been a recipient of this scholarship, and I will always remember the impact that it has had on my life.
With the kindest of regards,
Aanya Chadha