Hi, I'm Aravind Murari
I am Director of School at Acton Alpharetta
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I am Director of School at Acton Alpharetta
Aravind Murari has demonstrated exceptional academic and professional capabilities. However, the roots of his journey trace back to his early years as a passionate scholar. His thirst for knowledge was driven purely by internal enthusiasm, independent of grades or external pressures. He broke away from traditional educational models to pursue learning autonomously, at his own pace.
Motivated by a deep love for learning and a particular affinity for Mathematics, Aravind began tutoring students in this subject two decades ago. Despite balancing this with a full-time corporate job, he remained committed to nurturing young minds, both in-person and virtually. Over time, his teaching style evolved from lecturing to adopting an inquiry-based approach. Recognizing the power of timely, incisive questioning, he curated engaging experiments and exercises.
However, amidst his tutoring journey, Aravind found himself pondering profound questions: What drives a learner's pursuit of knowledge? How can we foster curiosity in learning? Can parents and the education system patiently support a child until they naturally develop an interest in a specific subject? His focus shifted towards igniting curiosity and fostering a genuine passion for learning among his students.
These reflections prompted Aravind to explore alternative and effective learning methods, with the aim of implementing them within institutional educational frameworks. This quest led him to discover Acton and its remarkable success at the flagship campus in Austin, TX. Subsequently, he ardently pursued the opportunity to establish an Acton campus in Georgia, culminating in its approval.
Acton Academy Alpharetta is located at 12700 Century Drive, Suite B&C - Alpharetta, GA 30009.
We are located about 2 miles from GA-400 exit 11 on the west of the highway. We also have a great outdoor playground facility right across the school building parking lot.
Aravind has about two decades of experience nurturing learning for young children in the fields of Math, Art & Design using creative and inquisitive based experiments and exercises. In addition to his pedagogical endeavors, he is a professional artist, specializing in watercolor and mixed media abstract creations. Aravind seamlessly integrates yoga as part of his lifestyle, sharing his life with a supportive, affectionate wife and two children aged 2 and 8. He is also engaged in small-scale organic farming, collaborating with cousins and family in the surrounding land where his family currently lives.
A graduate of the esteemed Carnegie Mellon University, Aravind’s two-decade tenure in the corporate sphere stands as a testament to collaborative ingenuity, spearheading the inception and execution of innovative technical IT solutions.
Aravind is excited to offer Acton’s paradigm of a learner-driven environment to not only his own children but also to the broader community. Enthusiastically integrated into the Acton affiliate network, Aravind as an owner, director and a guide invites you to be a part of the ever growing, strong learning community at Acton Academy Alpharetta.
Jeff Sandefer lives a dual life as an entrepreneur and a Socratic Guide. As an entrepreneur, he founded his first company at age 16 and went on to found or co-found seven successful businesses. As a Socratic teacher at the University of Texas, Jeff’s students five times voted him the school’s Outstanding Teacher and Businessweek named him one of the top Entrepreneurship professors in America.
Jeff went on to co-found the Acton School of Business, an MBA program perennially ranked by the Princeton Review among the best in the nation. In 2012 The Economist honored him as one of the top fifteen Business School professors in the world.
Jeff is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, where he served for over twenty years on the school’s governing committees. He was a longtime director of the Philanthropy Roundtable and National Review magazine and one of the youngest members ever elected to the Texas Business Hall of Fame.
Laura lived on both US coasts and in between as a child, then settled into Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate studies in the College of Arts and Science. After being awarded the highly competitive Walter Wattles Fellowship at Lloyd’s of London, Laura worked in the aviation insurance industry in New York City.
Deciding to follow her calling into the world of education, Laura returned to Nashville and earned her Master of Education at Peabody College. This led her to her work at the Oklahoma Arts Institute, creating fine arts education programs for teachers and talented high school students.
Laura married Jeff Sandefer and is the happy mother of Sam and Charlie and step-mother to Taite. It is the inspiration of these children that led Laura and Jeff to co-found Acton Academy.
Her greatest hero is her mother who was a Master Teacher. Her wisest mentor is her father who sent her off to college with two words of advice: "Be curious."
Begin a Hero’s Journey,
Discover precious gifts and a commitment to mastery.
Become a curious, independent, life-long learner.
Embrace the forging of a strong character.
Cherish the arts, the physical world, and the mysteries of life.
Treasure economic, political, and religious freedom.
We believe each person has a gift that can change the world in a profound way;
We believe in learning to learn, learning to do, and learning to be.
We believe in a closely connected family of life-long learners.
We believe in economic, political, and religious freedom.
