Arabdho Majumder

I just graduated from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with a degree in public relations and a minor in psychology. I hope to eventually join the US Foreign Service, but in the meantime, I'm open to work in a variety of fields including public relations, marketing, journalism and law.

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Growing up

I hate being asked "where are you from?" because it's not such a simple question for me to answer. I was born in Austin, Texas, then my family moved to Pune, India, for a year when I was 4 years old. When we came back to North America, we settled in the Pacific Northwest, first living in Seattle, then moving to Vancouver, Canada, where I spent seven years. Before I entered eighth grade, my family moved back to Austin, where I stayed until going to Syracuse. 

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In addition to living in three different countries, oftentimes I felt in two different worlds at home and at school. My parents were both born and raised in India, and we still live by many Bengali customs at home including eating meals with my hands. Because they continued to speak in Bengali at home, I can speak and understand the language, though I cannot read or write it. 

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These circumstances while growing up bestowed on me an appreciation for different cultures and ideas. It sparked my appetite for storytelling and eventually also led to my desire to join the Foreign Service. I feel comfortable around many different types of people and have come to know those from all walks of life. It's truly been a blessing and given me the gift of adaptability so that I know I'll be OK wherever I go.

 

Passion for stories

The enduring lesson of my time spent pursuing a career in journalism was that everyone has a story to tell. My belief in that has allowed me to find creative angles in many of the pieces I've written. It's also driven me to find narratives everywhere in life, and that didn't stop with my change to a public relations major. 

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Many journalists and those in the communications field as a whole say they're writers. While I enjoy writing, my passion is for listening and learning. I enjoy being told stories, reading novels and learning the histories of peoples and subjects. Everyone has a story, and I want to hear them all. 

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At Syracuse...

I was involved with The Daily Orange, SU's independent student-run newspaper. I began as a staff writer before working in different editorial roles for two semesters. After my leave of absence in 2021, I served as the host and editorial director of The Daily Orange Sportscast until the spring of 2022.

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During my leave of absence...

I moved back to Austin, Texas, and served as a high school sports correspondent for the Austin American-Statesman. I covered football, basketball, baseball and more throughout the 2020-2021 high school sports season, one of the most tumultuous in history. The season began with the world still in the midst of a pandemic and a winter storm ravaging central Texas offered further obstacles and a slew of delayed playoff basketball games in February. Still, it was some of the most fun and rewarding work I've ever done.

 

Other passions

Outside of school, I could usually have been found at Syracuse's premier pool hall, Brick House Billiards. I became an avid pool player in the summer of 2019 and have taken part in some regional tournaments in Central New York as well as in my home state of Texas. 

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I watch just about any sport you can think of, from basketball and hockey to cricket and motorsports, and that's what initially drove me to trying for a career in sports journalism.

 

As of late, I've become especially enthralled by motor-racing, particularly NASCAR and Formula 1. In addition to watching, I began sim racing during the pandemic, which combined my love for racing with my other passion for gaming.