Sometimes, Seemingly Bad Choices Lead To A Good Life - Shilpi Sampad

“I was fascinated by journalism because my father is a journalist and worked as the Odisha Bureau Chief for NDTV for 2 decades. Little did I know about the efforts that went into the job.

When I made it to the State’s top-5 list in Intermediate boards, I was interviewed and asked about my aspirations. I mentioned Fashion Designing, because at that time, it felt fancy to me. When Papa read that in the newspaper, he wasn’t amused since he believed such courses were not meant for the middle class.

During graduation, I was confused. Fashion Designing was at the back of my mind, but it was a risk I wasn't prepared to take. Then, out of the blue, I decided to be a journalist. My father advised me against it, so as a rebellion, I stuck to my guns. I applied to 2 colleges and cracked both their entrance exams. I took admission into ACJ, Chennai, which opened up a whole new world for me.

However, I didn't get through campus placements. I came back to BBSR. I was unsure if Journalism was my calling. A month later, The Telegraph started its Odisha Edition, and I got my first job there. I was allotted a position in Kolkata, but I wasn't ready to leave home, so I requested for a reporter’s post in BBSR itself.

At Telegraph, I was mentored by the Resident Editor, Prakash Patra. He pushed me to go to the field every day, collect untold stories, and that way I started enjoying journalism. Four years later, I wanted a change and new challenges. I applied for jobs in Mumbai and got into Mid-Day. In between, I got married and a year later, shifted to Hyderabad. I work with The Hindu there.

Choosing Journalism was an impulsive decision, and though initially I considered it a bad decision, I tried to make the best out of it. Now, I know for sure that I was meant to be a journalist, because I get bothered by issues that bother people. So, I would encourage everyone not to get regret their bad choices, but to keep trying to turn the fortunes around.” - Shilpi Sampad