Full Circle

Ten years ago, I stepped foot into a place that would change me forever.

It was a legitimate school, even though it felt like it was too good to be true. The mission of the place: nurture and challenge students to become powerful and responsible storytellers. Find the extraordinary in the ordinary is what they told us.

The name of the school: The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. It was the place that told me, “Yes, Mira. That fire burning inside of you? Sure, it’s idealistic. But it is important. What you want to do–storytelling/journalism/anthropology/creative writing/whatever you want to call it–it’s a passion we want you to nurture. We will help you nurture it, and if you try hard and care enough, it’s something that you can actually do for a living. It’s vital.”

Ten years later, I’m still doing it.