Page 62 - EW August 2023

People

basic reading and writing skills to clusive scholarship for
first generation learners. Gradu- the Stanford SUMaC
ally, it began offering supplemen- summer program.
tary learning support in the form of This summer school
evening tutorials to help children stint earned him a 100
bridge learning deficits. TWIN also percent scholarship at
distributes financial aid to Plus Two Stanford and Princeton.
students so they can avail profes- He chose the latter.
sional test prep coaching, vocational With reference to his
education and career guidance. decision to move bag
Direct talk. “In our modest way, we and baggage to India
have ensured all students under our when most people want
care attend school and complete at to go the other way,
least higher secondary education and Subramaniam says it
acquire skills training to improve AJP co-founders Subramaniam & Agarwal (right) was the “best profes-
their employability. Over the past sional decision of his
two decades since TWIN was estab- Ivy League dream life.” “India has a vibrant startup
lished, 50 students have successfully ecosystem and also hosts the world’s
completed Plus Two and secured largest population of children
gainful employment in schools, enablers and youth. We discerned a strong
banks, beauty parlours, NGOs and demand among students to study
hospitals,” says Basu, an engineer- AHUL SUBRAMANIAM and abroad. Simultaneously, there was
ing graduate of Manchester Univer- POSHAK AGARWAL are a significant lacuna in professional,
sity, UK, with over two decades of Rco-founders of Athenaeum high-quality coaching and mentoring
corporate experience, and a former Jupiter Pvt. Ltd (AJP, estb.2013), to prepare Indian students for ad-
president of Rotary Club, India. a Gurugram-based study abroad mission into good universities. This
Unfortunately, Josef expired in coaching-cum-consultancy facilitat- awareness prompted us to promote
2020 and Marie has retired from ing student undergrad admissions AJP ten years ago,” says Subrama-
Leuven University. “Since then, our into premier universities in 11 niam, who recalls that the company’s
reliable funds flow from Belgium has countries including the US, UK, first office was established in the
dried up. Therefore currently, we are and Canada under its brand Athena basement of his Gurugram home.
strongly focussed on fundraising to Education. Currently, AJP has one In 2015, the company welcomed
continue TWIN’s mission of provid- coaching centre each in Gurugram, its first batch of 10 students, which
ing quality education and healthcare Mumbai and Bengaluru in which has since averaged to 100 per year.
to children. Our goal is to ensure that over 100 faculty coach and mentor Three years later in 2018, the com-
we continue to support as many as high-school students to qualify for pany’s first resource centre was in-
we can,” says Basu. admission into American Ivy League augurated in Gurugram to provide a
Future plans. Looking to the and other elite universities world- range of services including assistance
future, this now Lone Ranger wide. with applications, essay editing,
plans to strengthen TWIN’s Newspeg. This year AJP crossed a portfolio preparation among others.
vocational education and training milestone with 700 students being The following year, AJP expanded its
programmes. “We are collaborating admitted into prestigious global services to include the Ivy Strategy
with government accredited higher ed institutions including Yale, Program for class IX students up-
agencies including National Stanford, Caltech, Chicago, Duke, ward, specifically providing guidance
Skill Development Council and Carnegie Mellon and Johns Hopkins to students aspiring for admission
Ramakrishna Math and Mission universities. into Ivy League universities.
Training Institute. Moreover, this History. Subramaniam met Agar- Direct talk. “Athena Education’s USP
month we will restart TWIN’s wal at Princeton University where is our expertise to empower students
Tollygunge tailoring unit, which both graduated one year apart and to transcend their school curricu-
was shut during the pandemic returned to India to promote AJP lums, acquire necessary life skills,
years. Public support is gradually in December 2013. While Subrama- and prepare powerful admission
improving and we are hopeful about niam was born and schooled in the profiles. In our uniquely designed
the future,” says this indefatigable US, Agarwal finished his schooling personal mentorship programme,
social worker. at DPS R.K. Puram, where he was our faculty guide students through
Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata) an academic topper winning an ex- the applications process, and help

62 EDUCATIONWORLD AUGUST 2023