Aga Khan Academies Delegation Meets with Texas Senator Angela Paxton in Plano, Texas

Senator Paxton visiting with AKA leadership, members of the Aga Khan Council for Central USA, AOC Steering Committee members and other leaders in Plano, Texas. Photo: Ali Dhamani
 

Highlighting excellence in all aspects of education, State of Texas leaders met with representatives from the Aga Khan Academies, as well as the President of the Ismaili Council for Central USA, and Rizwan Sheikh, member of the Steering Committee for the Texas Agreement of Cooperation in Plano, Texas, on August 21, 2019.

Texas Senator Angela Paxton learned from Academy leaders Amyn Merchant, Resource Development & Financial Strategy Director, and Gulam Juma, Director of External Affairs-Africa, about the quality of education offered to students attending Academies in Mombasa, Kenya, Hyderabad, India, and Maputo, Mozambique.

This initiative follows the Agreement of Cooperation signed between the Ismaili Imamat and the State of Texas in 2009, intended to expand collaboration in the areas of education, health sciences, natural disaster preparedness and recovery, culture and the environment.

The Texas delegation with former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos, University of Texas System Board of Regent Christina Crain, and leadership from the University of Texas at Dallas. Photo: Ali Dhamani

The Texas delegation was also joined by former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos, University of Texas System Board of Regent Christina Crain, and leadership from the University of Texas at Dallas. The group discussed ways to extend the success of the Aga Khan Academies’ students, and developed a roadmap for Texas and the State’s academic institutions to forge a partnership to apply human and financial resources to further the mission of the Academies. Also discussed were how to add to the intellectual diversity and global perspectives of Texas university campuses by offering scholarships to Academies graduates.

Members of the Aga Khan Academies leadership team, Amyn Merchant and Gulam Juma, shared the advanced and International Baccalaureate curriculum taught at the Academies. Senator Paxton is a teacher with 22 years of experience. She served as a member of the Senate Education Committee during Texas’ 86th legislative session held from January to June of this year.

“Everything is bigger in Texas, and our hope is that this saying will be true of the Ismaili Community’s involvement in the State. It is a point of pride for us to be able to share the positive, forward-looking vision that His Highness the Aga Khan has for the world, and seeks to engage the Ismaili Community within Texas and Texas leaders in fulfilling his vision,” commented Nizar Didarali, President of the Ismaili Council for Central USA. “Enhancing access to education is a key value shared by the Ismaili Community and the State of Texas, and we are keen to see our partnership and friendship grow.”
 

Additional Photographs

Amyn Merchant, Resource Development & Financial Strategy Director at the Aga Khan Academies and Nizar Didarali, President of the Ismaili Council for Central USA, welcome Texas Senator Angela Paxton. Photo: Ali Dhamani

Texas Senator Angela Paxton and Amyn Merchant, Resource Development & Financial Strategy Director at the Academies, discussing unique approaches of identifying talent for the Academies. Photo: Ali Dhamani

Senator Angela Paxton, Nizar Didarali, President of the Ismaili Council for Central USA, and AOC Steering Committee member, Rizwan Sheikh, in conversation in Plano, Texas. Photo: Ali Dhamani