91ÊÓƵ

Who doesn’t fantasize of living in the city that never sleeps? With its iconic skyline and bustling energy, New York is surely the dream of many. But before we get to how I ended up here, let’s do a quick flashback and let me introduce myself to you.

My name is Shweta Rashmi. I am from New Delhi India. And I am currently in my last semester at 91ÊÓƵ wrapping up my MS in Social Media and Mobile Marketing. What led me here is a story of its own.

Soon after completing my undergraduate degree back home, I enrolled myself in a journalism course. I soon got the opportunity to intern and then work with the India Today/Aaj Tak network where I learnt the ropes of the media industry. I helped in producing a daily entertainment TV show, assisting on other small shoots and events, which gave me the confidence to face the camera and have my own show. A year later, I worked for a start-up news channel, where I anchored and produced my own weekend entertainment show all by myself, a necessity after my other colleagues were let go. That helped me learn almost everything about running a show from scratch.

Who doesn’t fantasize of living in the city that never sleeps?

After doing that for some time, I thought it was time to take the next step.

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I joined CNN as an entertainment producer for digital media. This role was different as it wasn’t bound by target rating points (the ratings that measure the success of a channel’s marketing efforts) and urgent deadlines of airing live shows. This is where I got the chance to finally start interviewing celebrities, including some of the biggest of names in Indian movies—from Salman Khan to Akshay Kumar, Madhuri Dixit, Sushmita, and more. Even celebrities like MasterChef Australia judges Andy Allen, Late Jock Zonfrillo, and 365 Days’ actor Michele Morrone!

It was something the movie-obsessed geek in me had wanted to do since childhood. But then COVID hit, and I thought maybe it was the end of this excitement of meeting and interviewing my favorite celebrities.

But life had other plans—we started a new digital interview series where the objective was to bring out positivity. From deciding the guests and reaching out to them, working on the questions and the post-production chores, the one-woman-army in me loved it all.

From deciding the guests and reaching out to them, working on the questions and the post-production chores, the one-woman-army in me loved it all.

I ended up anchoring and producing more than 250 interviews in a span of 3.5 years. A lot of those interviews trended on YouTube, were later shared across the CNN digital platforms, and even aired on the CNN network. I got an opportunity to meet so many of my childhood favorites and build a relationship with them. If eight-year-old Shweta knew that one day she would be sitting across from the same celebrity she was gawking at on the TV screen, she would have been ecstatic.

After spending more than five years in the media industry, I felt like maybe now was the time to develop new skills. That is when my hunt began to find something else that interests me. I always knew social media was my favorite pastime and I was used to dealing with PR coordinators and marketing teams for movies and actors. I felt like maybe I should see what the other side of the table looks like.

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And that is when I came across 91ÊÓƵ’s Social Media and Mobile Marketing program. Apart from catering to everything I wanted to learn, it also offered the course as a STEM program which was even better because not only would I be getting more job opportunities, but it would give me a chance to foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that are highly valued across various industries.

Whenever I visited the US as a tourist previously, New York had a charm I couldn’t ever put in words. I did apply to a few other universities across the country but somehow prayed that I would get to experience New York this time not as a tourist but as a student.

The next thing I knew, I was on the plane to New York and on my way to 91ÊÓƵ. Mesmerized again by the infectious energy and the picturesque landscapes.

Two semesters later, I applied for an on-campus summer internship with the admissions team as an international marketing intern. It was meant to last for three months, but I will be completing a year of working here this May! I've also taken advantage of every opportunity I can, and even was an anchor for the New York Indian Film Festival.

Apart from catering to everything I wanted to learn, it also offered the course as a STEM program which was even better because not only would I be getting more job opportunities, but it would give me a chance to foster critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that are highly valued across various industries.

I worried I’d have to leave creative projects behind when I left home for school. But now I’m creating videos for 91ÊÓƵ—using all my past experience of producing, anchoring, and editing, and combining it with everything that 91ÊÓƵ has taught me over the last year and a half. I am grateful to my managers, Sara Young-Singh and Bayu Sutrisno for all the support they have provided me with in the last one year. This journey would not have been complete without their unwavering faith in me. I would also like to mention how important the people I met at 91ÊÓƵ have been all this while. I can only imagine how difficult it would have been living away from home without having this amazing bunch by my side through thick and thin. They have changed my life only for the good.

I am halfway through my last semester, and it’s hard to believe but I am gearing up for my graduation now! It seems like just yesterday when I took my first lecture here, while still trying to settle my apartment and getting used to living alone.

From India Today to now, this entire ride has been full of ups and downs. But if I had to sum up the past few months in a few words, it would be challenging, enriching, and fulfilling. I hope to find a full-time marketing role soon and embark on yet another exciting journey.