º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ

What drew you to your work as a journalist? What do you find rewarding, exciting, challenging?

I was initially drawn to journalism because I wanted, as a Tibetan-American, to write about exile, statelessness, the Tibet-China conflict, and Buddhism from a personal lens.

The most enjoyable part about this work is definitely meeting people and having conversations I otherwise would not have. I love going into an encounter with one perspective and leaving it with a completely new one. The challenging part for me is always the writing. Every new piece makes you feel like you’re learning to write all over again.

How did your career unfold?

A career in journalism is something I never really planned. When I was at º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ, I didn’t write for the Orient or take creative writing courses. After college, I found myself living in India for a few years, unsure what I wanted to do, but having these experiences that I wanted to write about. So I applied to journalism programs, enrolled at NYU’s, and everything fell in place from there. I met some great teachers and students for whom a career in journalism, like for me, wasn’t a self-evident path. I interned at some magazines, I fact-checked a book, and then landed my current position at the Times. 

Are there ways that your training in government and legal studies comes into play in the work that you do?

Not in any particular way that I can think of. Though during my senior year, I took some political philosophy courses with Paul Franco, which still form the foundation of how I think about the world. It allowed me to deal with dense philosophical texts, and to think critically and independently. Most importantly, these courses, among many others at º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ, allowed me hold together disparate ideas and draw connections between the world and my personal life, skills that are crucial in any field, including in journalism.    

What brought you to º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ? What was your experience at the College like?

º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ is one of the many great accidents in my life. Before my senior year, I had never heard about it. Then I received an email invitation to visit campus as part of the Explore program, which brings in students from diverse backgrounds, who otherwise may not have considered º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ.    

Before º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ, it felt like I was waiting for my life to begin. College opened up many opportunities for me: studying abroad, connections with teachers and friends who are intelligent thoughtful, and kind — many of whom I am still in touch with today. It made life feel more possible for me.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by my family, by friends who make me laugh and who give me courage. I’m inspired by conversations that make me feel connected. I am inspired by people who are kinder and more generous than me, by those who make me want to be a better person.

Is there something about the work you have done that others would find surprising?

That so much of being a journalist is being okay with asking dumb questions!  

Is there something about YOU that others might find surprising?

That I’m a big Knicks fan—half of my Twitter feed is just tweets from overenthusiastic, slightly delusional Knicks fans.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I enjoy reading, running, the sauna. I love rewatching old favorite TV shows. I spend way too much time on Twitter.

Favorite º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ memory? Or best thing you learned at º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ?

This is not necessarily a favorite memory, or a pleasant one at that, but definitely a funny one in hindsight. It was during my first week at º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ. I was enrolled in the coastal biking pre-Orientation trip, where we were supposed to bike, on average, twenty-seven miles a day. Growing up in New York City, I was never an athletic or outdoorsy kid, so this was something I really dreaded. I didn’t even remember putting coastal biking down as one of my options! To prepare for what I was sure would be a great athletic feat for me, I decided to go biking with a friend just a few weeks before school started. I got into a car accident and was transported to a hospital.

So, as you can imagine, I wasn’t particularly excited to be biking on the Maine roads a few weeks later with ten strangers, many of whom had no trouble biking for miles, and who easily sped ahead of me on the road. There was, however, one Thai international student I was slightly faster than. With one Pre-O leader leading the faster group, and another leading the Thai student behind me, I found myself alone for long stretches, the memory of my bike accident still fresh in my mind. I ended up throwing up on the first day—not the ideal first impression you want to make to potential new friends. 

I smile thinking about that freshman version of me, alone on the Maine freeway, terrified that I might get into another accident, terrified about what the four years of college might entail. She is almost unrecognizable to me. I don’t think I would have trouble biking those twenty-seven miles today if I had to.  

This story first appeared in the Fall 2024 issue of º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ Magazine. Manage your subscription and see other stories from the magazine on the º¬Ðß²ÝÑо¿ÊÒ Magazine website.