Karishma Asoodani, a final-year student at St. Francis, is ecstatic. She is the only student from India to have been selected for the ONA 15 (Online News Association) Conference on Digital Journalism in Los Angeles.
Ready to take off for the conference that will be held from September 24-26, Karishma says, “My friend who studies in California had asked me to apply for the conference. And in April, I went through the procedure by giving them the references of a few of my blogs and online videos. I had also shared a few citizen journalism articles of mine. I had also worked with Arnab Goswami and interned at national television channels, so that helped.”
From fighting against her family to study journalism to today being the only Indian student to be selected for the conference, Karishma’s parents too are happy. “I didn’t expect to be selected but my father was very confident. But when I recently got the result that too by mail, at 3 am, my happiness knew no bounds,” she says.
“Indian students who have lived abroad all their lives have been selected for the conference earlier, but I will be the first one to go from India,” she says.
Karishma is hopeful that she will learn a whole lot of things.
“Frankly, I didn’t have much idea about digital journalism. But now, I’m looking forward to know about the various technologies and innovative ideas that new media brings with it. Also, I will get to know more about how free press works in the US. At the conference I will be meeting the best journalists from US and attending their sessions as well,” says Karishma, adding, “This will be the turning point of my career.”
