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I was born into a traditional Indian family and was schooled in Chennai, a southern port city. I
was academically proficient and culturally talented and, like my father and many others in my family,
I went on to study engineering. I entered the prestigious Birla Institute of Technology and Science in
distant Pilani, near New Delhi. I was drawn to the art and science of communication while at college, participating in extra-curricular activities like event management, drama and the student press. To gain familiarity with corporate communication, I took elective courses in market research, knowledge management, advertising and brand promotion and technical report writing in addition to my regular courses. In 2004, the Asian tsunami wrought tragedy in the coastal areas close to home. While still in college, I worked at BITSunami, a rehabilitation program initiated by my alma mater in brutally-hit Nagapattinam in south India. I spent a semester as the non-profit's public relations agent, coordinating with the governing body, corporate sponsors and volunteers, and helping to empower the village using information and communication technology. Even as the survivors bravely coped with the pain and had inspiring stories to tell, I was struck by how rural India had been left behind, and was limping without the tools that urban India and other developed societies had. What I had intended as my bit in the rehabilitation effort became the most influential experience in my life – in trying to build knowledge villages, I understood the power of information dissemination. I graduated with B.E. (hons) and immediately joined Cognizant Technology Solutions and worked as a software analyst for a year, on financial software that processes account generation, credit services, statement processing and collections for commercial cards on behalf of VISA, Mastercard, JCB and Chase. s I also graduated with M.M.C. from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, specializing in Strategic Media and Corporate Communication, with emphasis on international and intercultural communication. I also studied multimedia techniques and web 2.0 tools and trends. After rigorous course work, I spent the summer of 2009 as a Web Intern at Intel, assisting the Embedded Business and Marketing Operations team with their newly launched sales and marketing website, Embedded Design Center. In my final semester, I was an Account Executive with V3 Communications, a PR agency within the Cronkite School. I led teams, working with clients like the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Zooloo.com and The Arizona Partnership for Immunization. At the agency, we primarily utilized the web to spur publicity for clients, using both popular social media and other lesser known web 2.0 tools. I also contributed as a Content Team Member to AZCentral's new online community for Phoenix mothers called MomSwap, at the Gannett New Media Innovation Lab. I hope to draw from my exposure to different cultures and societies, information technology, and the corporate and non-profit environments to synergize communication programs for my employer. I graduated from school at a time when both the economy and the field of communications evolved (and still is evolving) rapidly, and am confident that my intensive education and experiences will help me execute projects with ease. I volunteer with the International Alliance for the Prevention of AIDS, a non-profit devoted to drawing out and rehabilitating HIV+ women and children who are stigmatized and/or abandoned, and that conducts massive education programs in India. I live in Chandler, AZ. I enjoy traveling and the diverse cultures that it exposes me to. I love meeting people, exploring their food and music and dance. I traveled the length and breadth of India, absorbing endemic values. I now continue to explore and enjoy the cultural pluralism in the US. |
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