You won’t just report about these countries, you’ll report from these countries.

"...helped me get my first job after journalism school"

I was born in India and have visited my family in Chennai pretty frequently over the years, but I had never worked there as a journalist until I took the India reporting class. My project took me to Amritsar, to film at a school for AngloAmerican Sikhs, students whose parents had converted to Sikhism in America in the late 1960s and who chose to send them to boarding school there. The resulting documentary became my thesis project, and the film screened at festivals in New York, Vancouver, London and Kathmandu. My thesis helped me get my first job after journalism school, on a documentary for National Geographic television. 

"...helped me build a foundation for field reporting"

I attended UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism to sharpen my investigative journalism skills. As a foreign student, I’ve always been drawn to international stories and complex global investigations. When I chose to focus on reporting in India, the J-School guided me in structuring my story—an in-depth investigation into organ trafficking scams—and helped me build a foundation for field reporting. Their support was key in producing a solid story that I later published with Al Jazeera.

An "unrivaled and invaluable" experience...

My trip to India was probably the crowning experience of my time at Berkeley. I gained in-depth and firsthand knowledge of a place and society I knew very little about beforehand, and that I probably never would have otherwise. And for this reason, such an experience – especially while still in school – is unrivaled and invaluable. It culminated with writing pieces for both The Atlantic and The Daily Beast websites, which were great clips for me at the time and only helped further my career. No doubt, I would feel comfortable working out of most any international city now, because if you can do it in India, you can do it anywhere.

"I will always be grateful for the experience..."

Reporting in India gave me more international experience as a videographer. I have shot video in the U.S., Italy, Spain and Mexico, but shooting in India brought a new level of challenges and surprises that as a Western journalist gave me appreciation for the culture. I also developed bonds with my journalism colleagues as well as new friends on the other side of the world. I will always be grateful for the experience and the challenges that helped me grow as an international videographer.

"...I believe it helped me land a job"

I went to India as part of an international reporting class taught by Lydia Chavez. Through lectures, readings and films, they gave us important background information on the history and political landscape before we went there. I traveled to Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai for three weeks to interview gay rights advocates, sex workers and elected officials for a story about a law that then made it illegal to be openly gay in India. I produced a radio documentary based on my interviews from India that aired locally on  KALW, and nationally on "Making Contact."

That reporting trip to India was one of the many highlights from my time in UC Berkeley's graduate journalism program. I had never been to India or reported abroad. I learned how to line up interviews before taking off, to cultivate sources on the ground, and to pitch my piece to editors before and after the trip. The documentary was also my first clip to be picked up by a national radio program, and I believe it helped me land a job at WNYC Radio right after graduating from school. 

"...had a huge impact on my career"

The class had a huge impact on my career. It gave me an amazing background in Indian history that put current events in context just at a moment when India's business story was booming. The work that I did at Berkeley has informed my understanding of global business issues more broadly and deepened my sensitivity for the challenges India faces. I never would have been able to afford to pursue this study on my own and I remain grateful to Berkeley for making it possible.

"...was a catalyst for every job and reporting experience since"

When I heard about the India reporting class I was fast to put my appeal in for a spot. My parents met as participants in "Project India" as undergraduates at UCLA in 1964. The project was a precursor to the Peace Corps created to help improve the image of Americans in India. The story of their travels contributed greatly to my interest in journalism and international reporting.

Having an opportunity to report in India was a dream. It enabled my reporting partner Jigar Mehta and I to produce what became Frontline/World's first ever streaming video multimedia story. The story went on to win a first place award in new media from the Southeast Asian Journalist's Association. After graduating I was hired on the staff of the PBS news documentary series FRONTLINE and FRONTLINE/World and later to a staff job on the first video team at the Los Angeles Times. There is no doubt in my mind that the India story was a catalyst for every job and reporting experience since.