Availing Educational Opportunities Across the World

“I grew up in a part of society that does not encourage teenage girls to ask questions about the state of women's rights, education and empowerment. From a young age though, I was intrigued by conversations around freedom, equality, justice and inclusion. Luckily, I attended a system of education which encouraged me to ‘think out of the box’ and challenge the status quo. Joining the AKU-EB system was about access to a different learning experience. The AKU-EB curriculum enhanced my critical thinking abilities. Questions on the exams discouraged students from rote learning and prompted us to think logically and approach complex concepts practically. That contributed towards my drive to use education as a key to a bright future.

After completing 10th grade with AKU-EB, I got the Kennedy Lugar Youth Exchange Study scholarship to complete a year of high school in the United States and live with an American host family. That was the first time I traveled abroad; the lessons and skills I learned in my AKU-EB education contributed to my academic and social success during the exchange study. Inevitably, upon return to Pakistan, I continued my Intermediate with AKU-EB as well. After Intermediate, I was awarded with a scholarship to pursue a Bachelor of Arts with a double major in Law and International Relations from Mount Holyoke College in the United States. At Mount Holyoke, I found myself in an intellectually rigorous and politically charged environment with a diverse group of people from all over the world. The critical thinking and collaboration skills that AKU-EB education instilled in me were useful in unpacking my rigorous academic workload. Currently, I live in Amsterdam and work as a Senior Consultant for Banking and Capital Markets at Ernst & Young. Being a woman of color in a predominantly Caucasian male industry has its nuances and challenges, but I am unpacking them one at a time. I am passionate about diversity and inclusion, particularly with regard to helping brown women advance their academics and careers.” Komal Ali Senior Consultant for Banking and Capital Markets at Ernst & Young, Sweden BA Law and International Relations, Mount Holyoke College, USA - 2015 AKU-EB Alumni 2011