Alisha Rajpal ’14

Class of 2014, Communication Arts major

The Communication and Media Arts alumna credits her MMC education with preparing her for a career in writing. “The writing exercises and books recommended to me by my professors have stayed with me over the years,” she says. “To this day, I use these tools in my work.” 

About

In 2018, Alisha Rajpal ’14 saw her hard work finally pay off: after spending the last few years establishing herself as a full-time writer, she published her first book, a collection of short stories entitled Has Everything Been Done? However, success wasn’t always so certain. Rajpal recounts, “At the beginning, the work was not consistent or in the space I hoped it might be. I have learned that before you can do what you want to do, you have to do what is assigned to you.” 

Currently residing in Mumbai, India, Rajpal is now a writer for Youth Incorporated, a digital magazine in Mumbai, as well as a freelance copywriter for the global marketing communications company J. Walter Thompson—positions in which she can take on assignments that intrigue her creatively. 

More than simply a career, Rajpal sees her writing as a platform for advancing social justice. “This past year has been monumental for India and the world. We recently decriminalized homosexuality and recognized third gender in a legal capacity. Along with the global #MeToo movement, these small but significant changes are altering the landscape for women and other individuals that have, in the past, been denied equal opportunities,” she explains. “I hope that through my writing, I can contribute to my culture and move it forward. This is what I am most interested in right now.” 

Rajpal’s book is available for purchase on Amazon.