Development update

This last year has been both challenging and extremely satisfying. I moved from Delhi to Kodai in July 2009 with trepidation, wondering if I had made the right decision leaving the safety net of my home and family and the comfort of my job as head of an NGO for close to nine years. Both my mother and sister have been principals in schools in Delhi and I grew up hearing endless stories around the dinner table about their colleagues, students, parents and alumni, never then imagining I would be part of a similar work culture.

I very quickly realized that I had not only moved into an institution but a community; an environment where I found supportive colleagues, enthusiastic and energetic students and respectful support staff. A place where despite the roller coaster ride that we have been through, determination, grit and sheer attachment to the school steered us through tough times. When my daughter, who is in undergraduate school in Delhi, visited me in September, she walked the pathways of KIS, meandering through the old school buildings, taking in the beauty, clean air and the calm and only then, did she understand what had drawn me to Kodai and KIS.

And so as the term comes to a close I sit back and reflect on how quickly this year has gone by. Yet, for me, this is just a beginning. I am filled with ideas and thoughts of how KIS offers huge potential and challenges for me in the year ahead. I will take up this opportunity to contribute to the school and the lives of its students putting it on the cutting edge as a socially responsible and environmentally progressive institution.

Alika Khosla
Development Officer