Growing up, I preferred dogs to humans, so I attended college for Animal Behavior. As part of my major, I studied abroad through SFS Tanzania, an experience that completely changed my career path in the best possible way. Specifically, I was shaken by the stories shared by the farmers around Ngorogoro Crater about their struggles living alongside the national park: why didn’t more people know just how hard life with elephants was? Would hearing their stories make us more compassionate to the plight of the local people, thus maybe allowing for more resources to be given to local communities, which would then, in turn, benefit wildlife conservation? I realized a desperate need for such stories to be more widely spread. These stories had the power to change the world. And in that moment, I realized something about myself: I wanted to harness the power of storytelling to make the world better.

However, I couldn’t quite figure out how. I worked for a few years in educational non-profits, but found myself continually returning to writing and storytelling. Then, it hit me: movies are one such tool with the power to change minds and influence culture. And I LOVED movies: the making of them, the behind the scenes, the experience of them, the movie theaters. In that moment, I realized my career path: I would make the world a better place through storytelling and filmmaking. I moved to Los Angeles, California the day before the 2020 Writers’ Strike (excellent timing) and, since then, have worked on multiple sets in various capacities, somehow making my way to working at one of the original Big Five movie studios. I hope to one day work full-time as a film writer and director, creating entertaining but uplifting stories set in fantastical settings, so that more people can feel celebrated and appreciated.

Outside of working at Paramount, I am writing two movie-length screenplays and working on filming a short film. Most recently, I began writing a screenplay specifically about human-elephant conflict, hoping the film will also one day encourage people to seek out more stories and ensure justice and well-being for all.

I am forever indebted to you, SFS Tanzania. You are my origin story.

Favorite SFS Memory: My favorite memories of my time with SFS in Tanzania were all the small, day-to-day interactions with the local youth and staff within our compound. Whether it was jamming to music while preparing breakfast in the morning, playing muddy games of ultimate frisbee on the soccer field, or participating in heated games of spicy uno and cardi moja, I will forever cherish those friendships and moments with my SFS Tanzania and Rhotia friends.