Q & A with Sreekanth Koganti, USF Alumnus and Founder of Next Gen International Schools in Guntur, India, conducted by Aruna Dasgupta, USF World India Country Advisor

[Dr. Sreevidya Koganti's] passion is to “ensure that every child is accepted, appreciated, nurtured and challenged according to his or her individual needs by fellow students, teachers, parents, and the larger community.” 

USF World Vice President Dr. Kiki Caruson and USF Provost Prasant Mohapatra enjoyed an action-packed agenda during their fall trip to India where the two met university leaders, U.S. diplomats, signed agreements with three prestigious institutions, explored collaborative research projects. During a visit with Provost Mohapatra to SRM AP, Dr. Caruson made a side trip to Guntur to visit Next Gen International School, founded by USF alum Sreekanth Koganti, who graduated from USF with an MS in Electrical Engineering in 2002. 

Dr. Caruson was welcomed to the school by a group of young students who were eager to meet her and to request her autograph. At the time, Caruson shared how impressed she was with every element of the school - from its innovative classroom and facilities design, talented students and faculty, (including an AI teacher for middle school students), and its dynamic leadership. Dr. Caruson was also pleased to meet Chief Learning Officer Dr. Sreevidya Koganti, who left her medical practice to join her husband leading the Next Gen group of schools. Her passion is to “ensure that every child is accepted, appreciated, nurtured and challenged according to his or her individual needs by fellow students, teachers, parents, and the larger community.” 

In an interview with USF World, Sreekanth talked about his journey from Guntur to Tampa and back to his hometown where he is advancing his parents’ legacy.   

USF World: What made you choose education as a career after having graduated with a degree in engineering? 
 
Sreekanth: Teaching and school administration have been an integral part of my life since childhood, as my parents founded a ran a school. That interest was enhanced when I became a teaching assistant (TA) at USF. My unique teaching experience at USF played a key role in my decision to become an educator. Soon after graduating from USF in 2002 and returning to India, I took on the responsibility of running the Kennedy School founded by my parents in 1981. 
 
USF World: Was the school named after President Kennedy? And how did you advance your parents’ legacy? 
 
Sreekanth: Yes, my mother named the school after JFK, whom she admired. It was then called Kennedy Convent.  I expanded the existing school and established two premium primary schools - Next Gen Kids and two Next Gen International Schools, one in 2015 in Ongole on a 12-acre greenfield setup with state-of-the-art infrastructure, and another in 2019 in Guntur with more innovative education spaces and a unique indoor sports complex. The latter is registered as a Cambridge International School. My parents are very proud of the schools and their evolution over time. 

Our group of schools educate over 3,000 Indian students and our fee structure allows parents from all socioeconomic backgrounds to send their children to study with us. We have been honored with the British Council's International School Award and other awards from various education organizations. The Next Gen Schools recently received the 2023 Excellence in Education Award from the President of Mauritius. 

USF World: Students who go to the U.S. for higher education are pleasantly surprised by the positive classroom dynamics reflected in different teaching methodologies, the ease between faculty-student interactions, and the encouragement to ask questions. Have you tried to instil some of that classroom dynamism in your schools?
 
Sreekanth: Yes, that is one thing that surprised me as a Teaching Assistant at USF and strongly influenced me to institute changes to the classrooms of my institutions. Of course, visits to Finland, Sweden, UAE, the UK and other countries also had an impact on how we shaped our institutions. I am fortunate that we have a good team of teachers who understood our mission and adapted their approach to be more interactive and student-friendly to suit the needs of Next Gen students. 
 
USF World: Have any of your students joined USF? 
 
Sreekanth: While I regularly recommend USF as one of the best places to study abroad for Indian students, no one from my school has attended USF yet since we were K-10 until recently.  Now that we are offering pre-university education (+2 in the Indian context), I'm sure it is only a matter of time before students will join USF.  
 
USF World: How do your schools stand with sports?

The Next Gen schools have top tier sporting amenities and at least one Physical Education teacher for every 100 students.

Sreekanth: When it comes to sports, I owe most of my zeal to my alma mater, Sainik School (a system of public schools in India established and managed under the aegis of India’s Ministry of Defence). The Next Gen schools have top tier sporting amenities and at least one Physical Education teacher for every 100 students. Our school in Guntur has a unique Indoor Sports Complex. Our school in Ongole has a wide variety of options including equestrian sports, rock climbing, swimming, skating, and rifle shooting.  

On a personal level, I have a passion for cycling and yoga. During the pandemic, as schools went online with limited working hours, I had sufficient time to devote to cycling. During  long rides, I met other cyclists and came to know about Brevets, long-endurance distance rides, and started taking part in them – going from 100 km to 600 km – which earned me the title of  Super Randonneur. 

I regret not cycling on USF’s beautiful Tampa campus, but look forward to doing it on my next visit! 

USF World: Over the years, you have become a major voice for improving the educational experience for student and have been called a legend in the field in Andhra Pradesh. Please discuss the reforms you are advocating for.  
 
Sreekanth: After working over a decade in my own schools, I felt a strong need to advocate amongst all stakeholders, particularly with government authorities in the education sector. They are often unaware of on-the-ground realities, especially the services offered by private education institutions in India.

As an alumnus, I'm so proud that USF has become a member of AAU and that its reputation and ranking are sky high. I have fond memories of my stay and study at USF, which has helped me in my profession.

I am an active member and officer with  various associations related to K-12 education including FICCI ARISE (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s Alliance for Re-Imagining School Education) of which I am the state chairman, NISA (National Independent Schools Alliance), and APPUSMA (Andhra Pradesh Private Unaided Schools Management Association). I also helped found the Independent Schools Managements' Association (ISMA), which is the association of schools affiliated to CBSE, ICSE. All International Boards in the state of Andhra Pradesh bring together over 150 school promoters. ISMA works with the state government to elevate the quality of education and make education accessible to all.  

USF World: Have you stayed in touch with your USF department or classmates? Have you invited any of them to speak to your students? How will you utilize Network India?
 
Sreekanth: I do follow the progress of USF! As an alumnus, I'm so proud that USF has become a member of AAU and that its reputation and ranking are sky high. I have fond memories of my stay and study at USF, which has helped me in my profession. 

Seeing the constant upgrades happening at USF, I am keen to visit it as soon as possible. A couple of my USF classmates have come here to interact with my students. I plan to reach out to more alumni through Network India and invite them to visit my schools and speak to the students and to share their USF experiences.