Featured Alumni

Introduction 

Hi, I’m Varun Vig from the Batch of 2015 and former Vasundhara House Captain. Aravali has been home to me since PV way back in 2001, being one of arrivals first pure batches.  We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. The path I decided to venture out on was that in the creative fields and I am currently a student at The Parsons School Of Design in New York, studying Graphic Design and Fashion. My interests vary and encompass a spectrum of different activities that intrigue me on a day to day basis. A passionate sportsman, dancer and martial artist that help my body stay in sync with my mind. An artist and fashion enthusiast that allows me to really observe and stay in connect with the people I interact with and overall I just enjoy spending time innovating and experimenting with new ideas that pushing my limits to the max. Every new challenge is an opportunity to explore new aspects of yourself and express yourself in a unique way. The best and beautiful things in life cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart and that’s the motto.

Share an anecdote of school which made a lasting impression

Life often throws situations at us that you are unable to comprehend at a particular moment in time, but you see them! You see them so clearly in front of you that it’s hard not fall prey to curiosity. I was just 14 when I came face to face with a life changing experience, a journey that embodied me as an individual and possibly resulted in something that has become my driving force to attempt every new obstacle life has to throw me. TopRock Crew was a project that derived itself more from the hunger and need for knowledge, passion and over and above to shatter the boundaries and limitations that get set by society and further unconsciously set by us as individuals in our daily lives. I started training 8 underprivileged children in the form of dance and martial arts 6 years ago. With tattered clothes and barely any shoes on, countless number of hours went in to practice every single day. It was a mind-set that was evolving on a day to day bases to strive for something much bigger than any of us had fathomed at that time. 1st May, 2012 was the day Shri Ram School Aravali gave us an opportunity to come together as one and perform at school. Our debut as a crew is one performance I will never forget in my life. The hours and months of practice, the drive to the gates of the school, run through on the stage and seconds before we went live in front of the entire school. My heart has never beaten so fast but with so much passion! Finally going on to stage that one performance was bliss. The reaction of the crowd and all the teachers clapping was the biggest rush. This was one moment of my school life where I just stood and watched completely zoned out into another world but with the biggest smile on my face. This memory is a very special one to me and is one of the defining moment for me. 6 years later TopRock Crew is sponsored by several different brands and further has its own dance academy promoting the same thought and mind-set amongst the communities that need it the most to draw out talent from places that no one would go to.

Any core value that you feel you learnt in school has helped you reach the place you are at today

One core value that I was drawn to over and over again was sensitivity. The experiences that I got to go through during my time at school varied in so many different aspects exposing me to several different scenarios. I learned how to value and accept different points of views and different ways of thinking. By sensitizing myself to my surrounding I was able to push myself to further embark on my creativity.

Your happiest..fun..moments in school were spent at…?

My happiest moments in school were probably spent at the Lunch Hall, water coolers or the field. Oh and also the dance room, art room, corridors I don’t know too much about classrooms haha but yeah school over all was fun.

Would you like to say a few lines to your fellow alumni to urge them to be an active part of this alumni movement?

To all my fellow alumni members, we were all fortunate to have experienced this same environment sometime or the other even if not together. We gave 14 years of our lives to this place we all proudly call home hence that makes this community a family and the doesn’t saying go, “Our family is a circle of strength and love…Our family with every birth and every union the circle grows, our family is a circle of strength when together makes the circle stronger.”

Introduction 

Hiteshwar and Anushka are from the batch of 2008, the second batch to pass out of TSRS – Aravali. We met in Grade 9 in school and dated for over 12 years before we got married in February this year. Hiteshwar is a consultant at EY and has been with them for a period of five years after completing his BBA. While Anushka completed her graduation from St. Stephens college in English Hons. and is a luxury brand consultant now.

Share an anecdote of school which made a lasting impression.

Hiteshwar has always been a sportsman and leading the school contingent at the National level is something that he will always remember.  Both of us also have lots of memories attached to the Indo – German exchange programme which widened our horizons, gave us the opportunity to make new friends and explore a different culture.

Any core value that you feel you learnt in school has helped you reach the place you are at today.

Perseverance, dedication and determination to go after what you believe in

Your happiest..fun..moments in school were spent at…?

In the classroom during breaks and the lunch hall

Would you like to say a few lines to your fellow alumni to urge them to be an active part of this alumni movement?

Legacies of schools are built through the alumni network, and taking cue from how well connected the other alumni networks in the school are we should aspire to reach there. This is a great way to stay connected with all other Ramites, we will hopefully continue to inspire each other and grow from strength to strength.

Love 

Anushka & Hiteshwar 

Introduction 

Ankit Sawhney – Account Strategist – Google Australia

I am Ankit Sawhney and I graduated from Aravali in 2010. I completed my graduation from SRCC, Delhi University in 2013. During college, I spent most of my time working for Enactus – a global non-profit student community which undertakes projects for the betterment of underprivileged communities. As a part of Enactus SRCC, I worked on two main projects –

1) ‘Life on Wheels’: Developing a micro-finance model for rickshaw pullers in DU
2) ‘Aahaar’: Creating a culinary business for girls rescued from sex trafficking.

In 2013, I got placed with Google India through the college placement process. Since then, I have worked in the SMB team helping small and medium businesses become more successful by advertising online and enabling them to reach their potential customers through Google AdWords.

In July 2015, I moved to Google Australia in Sydney to help Google set up their customer support operations in-market.

Share an anecdote of school which made a lasting impression.

I remember I was loitering around the sports field and was very late for my accounts class. Mandeep ma’am was very upset about the fact that I was late and that I wasn’t taking my studies seriously. She told me in front of my class “You have great potential but you lack discipline. You have a sharp mind, don’t let it go to waste”.

That left an impression on me. Not the fact that she was upset with me but the fact that she called out my potential in front of everyone. I decided to work hard from thereon and scored a 100 in my Accounts Board Exam.

Teachers scold you all the time at school but this time I could tell from her tone that it was more concern and less anger. For me this was the best part about school, the equation we all shared with our teachers (especially our class teacher – Sandeepa Ma’am) was fantastic!

Any core value that you feel you learnt in school has helped you reach the place you are at today.

Hard work & Confidence.

My teachers really pushed me and guided me all along and I know for sure that if I hadn’t learnt the value of hard work at TSRS, I wouldn’t be where I am today. TSRS also provides an open culture where students are allowed to speak their minds and share their opinions freely. This helped me build my confidence and face the world outside!

Your happiest..fun..moments in school were spent at…?

The TT tables in the sports room, the sports field, cricket nets, the lunch hall, the canteen, way too many to count!

Would you like to say a few lines to your fellow alumni to urge them to be an active part of this alumni movement?

This school has definitely played a huge role in shaping us as individuals and getting us to where we are today. I feel there is already so much we’ve been through since school and we all have so many experiences to share with each other. The only way we can do this is by becoming an active part of the alumni movement. Looking forward to engaging with everyone again!