Week 4: It all started in a bar...

It was mid-August, and I was three weeks away from taking off to spend fall semester in Italy. Life was filled with suitcases and “goodbye-for-nows.” I was invited by a couple of my professors for dinner at Patrick’s Bar and Restaurant, a community staple in the tiny town of Saint Peter, Minnesota. I remember sitting at the table, casually eating a burger and fries when my professor said: “Mariah, we have a proposal for you. There’s an alum from Gustavus named Siddarth Selvaraj. He’s looking to start an internship program in January at his media production house. How do you feel about going to India?” The next day, I called my parents with one simple message: “I’m excited – please don’t say no.” After some parental coaxing, a semester abroad, and a mad rush to obtain a visa, I found myself stepping out into the sunshine at the Bangalore airport. It has been a busy, intense, exciting month... and it’s hard to believe that it is coming to an end!


The crew!

This week, I filmed videos of my colleagues for Meet the Staff Mondays, a series that allows you to get to know more about Studio 33’s team each week. Stay tuned – the videos will be coming soon to our Facebook page! My incredibly camera-shy colleagues (who would much rather hold the camera) squirmed and giggled throughout their videos. As I laughed along with them, it hit me that when the work day begins on Friday, I won’t be with this team anymore. There will be no Avinash asking who wants coffee, no Sid directing office traffic like a wiz, no Tanya offering me helpful feedback on my work, no Pranab and Subhankar to coach me through new editing techniques, no Ajay fixing things left and right, and no Bailey sleeping soundly on a bean bag.
 

I know without a doubt that I will miss the bright walls of this office and the team that makes Studio 33 great. They’re a rare bunch – humble, genuine, hardworking, collaborative, and unfailingly kind. They provided a safe place for me to make mistakes, whether I was improperly using editing software or incorrectly eating with my hands. As I pack up my bags and take off tomorrow, I know that I will be leaving with the tools to be a better person and a better employee. I am so grateful that a crazy dream born in a sleepy Minnesota bar turned into an unforgettable month!



Thank you, Studio 33, and thank you for following along with my journey this month!

And the true colors come out!