Reflecting On Education
Education has always been important to me.
In our efforts to show up and bring our A-Game for others and for ourselves without shying away, we've put together some thoughts that have been weighing on us.
We've also included ways you can get involved to take action and help make a positive impact if you feel similarly.
As humans, it is impossible for everyone to align on everything, but being silent about what matters isn't the way, even if you may not agree with us.
One month ago the Trump administration started halting new student visa interviews and threatening to revoke thousands of existing visas.
This is more than immigration policy. It’s a threat to education, innovation, and global collaboration.
Although I was born and raised in the US, I was actively involved as a member and eventually served as Vice President of the Association of International Students during my time at East Texas A&M University because I love learning about new cultures and meeting new people.
I even MC'd the multicultural festival and helped curate and host various other events alongside other passionate students from all over the world at that time.
International students power our universities, fuel our economy, and drive breakthroughs in science, tech, and the arts.
Diversity in education makes us stronger, not weaker. Silencing voices and politicizing learning only sets us back.
We must stand for academic freedom, global exchange, and the future of learning.
One of the first videos I made for education advocacy was titled 'National Crisis: Inadequate Education' for StudentCam, C-SPAN’s annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our communities and our nation.
This video was created in 2009 with an incredibly talented friend from high school (who is making huge waves in Hollywood today) because we believed education can solve everything in the long run.
Today, I feel incredibly lucky and honored to run a small business rooted in creativity.
Through A-Game Creations, I get to produce videos, design websites, create graphics, develop podcasts, and more; some of which is in service of educational institutions, nonprofits championing education, and organizations driving meaningful change in our communities and beyond.
My passion for learning and creating was in huge part due to the phenomenal teachers I've had throughout my education.
I've had the opportunity to attend various educational institutions including a private school, a public school, an international boarding school, a magnet school, a public university, free courses from other higher education institutions & online platforms, the University of YouTube, and of course the school of life through my lived experiences.
Just as telling, my favorite quote is Ancora Imparo which means I Am Still Learning.
I was also a proud PBS kid & right now, Public Media is under threat in the U.S. as well.
My mom immigrated to the U.S. from India. She barely knew any English when she came to this country. But public programming like PBS, helped her learn the language and information about our country to pass her U.S. citizenship test.
The threat to Public Media means NPR is also in trouble right now. My big brother was obsessed with NPR, and it was always on in the car when we were kids.
Visit ProtectMyPublicMedia.Org to join their cause and find easy ways to take action like contacting your lawmakers today!
You can also purchase the Official Arthur Protect PBS Tees on the PBS Kids Shop, where net proceeds from the sale go to support GBH, the public media station in Boston that produces Arthur.
Follow accounts like @pbs, @pbskids, @wgbh, @mypublicmedia, @viewerslikemepbs, and your local public accounts. And be sure to like, comment, share, and amplify their content.
Obviously, there are so many other issues negatively impacting the U.S. and the world at large right now. Throughout my career, I've had the honor and privilege of creating content supporting the most vulnerable of communities.
From combating COVID, amplifying the efforts to free Palestine, standing against discrimination, uplifting women's empowerment and global health equity, advocating for LGBTQ+ and human rights, and so many other issues.
Although I went quiet on my personal social media for about five years and didn’t prioritize marketing my own small business, we have been very much active across 50+ social media profiles helping much larger accounts and platforms across the internet amplify the incredible work they are already doing.
We are grateful to continue to collaborate with people we look up to, from nonprofit founders, small business owners, NBA & basketball legends, royal families, authors, historians, museums, anthropologists, administrative departments at Ivy League universities, creators, artists, gamers, influencers, leaders of all kinds, individuals, parents, families, and ultimately passionate humans from all walks of life that want to help others.
Today, we spend most of our time doing what we love, using our creative skills to help others bring their visions to life. It wasn’t about credit or portfolio pieces (though these are nice).
It was about believing in the people we collaborate with and doing what we can to amplify their work, while still honoring the need to support ourselves and our family.
When we get to use the skills we enjoy and excel in, find purpose in our work, and lift others up along the way, it feels like the ultimate win-win.
However, since this Administration took over, things have been rapidly changing in the U.S. and globally, negatively impacting so many.
While we don't always have time to create for ourselves, we intended to start sharing our own journey at the end of last year.
We wanted to help amplify issues with our own voice where we could and continue to support others doing phenomenal work as well.
We never expected the start of this journey would have us all facing seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Earlier this year, the current administration initiated aggressive tariffs, increased inflation across the board, began a purge of many federal government employees who do important work through RIFs (Reduction In Force), and so much more, causing a chaotic first half of the year, making many long-existing and dormant issues worse.
We've been hit hard and even questioned the timing of it all having launched our website at the end of 2024.
But it reminded us of 2020 when we shared our business publicly for the first time with a single Instagram post on our personal profiles only to go quiet for 5 years because of how challenging the pandemic was for us.
We don't want to let fear stop or silence us this time.
Now President Trump is trying to pass the
'One Big Beautiful Bill' package that has serious implications like...
Tighter Medicaid & SNAP eligibility that could push millions of people to lose essential healthcare and food assistance
Eliminating climate-related tax credits that will raise long-term energy costs and worsen climate change impacts
The national debt will increase by trillions, burdening future generations, risking inflation, and interest rate hikes
Extension of Trump-era tax cuts benefitting higher-income households, widening income inequality
Cuts to public media by rescinding federal funding for the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which supports NPR, PBS, etc.
Funding mass deportations and harsher conditions for immigrants and their families, as well as asylum seekers and visa holders
Cuts to federal student aid while undermining public education and limiting opportunities for low-income students
This list is far from comprehensive, but hopefully, you get the gist.
We encourage you to do your own research, learn, and stand up for what you believe in.
To help prevent the One Big Beautiful Bill from passing, you can:
Call your senators
Submit written opposition through your senator's website to send a message
Spread awareness by sharing information from trusted sources to help others understand and act
Connect with local advocacy groups like the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) to participate in phone banks, rallies, protests, and petitions
And more!
If you are a fellow creative, there are other ways you can help, too, through your creations:
Video creators can make a video to share your thoughts and personal stories
Artists can create art and shareable graphics with accurate information
Writers can write an op-ed and share it everywhere, including submitting it to your local newspaper to raise awareness and pressure elected officials publicly
Photographers can take photos of others advocating and share those powerful images
Gamers can stream social issue-centric games to discuss with their communities
And this list goes on, too!
Get creative and bring your A-Game!
The current situation underscores the importance of standing up for values that make our country strong: diversity, inclusion, and the free exchange of ideas.
As we witness these developments, it is crucial to support policies and leaders who prioritize human rights, uphold the integrity of our educational institutions, and foster an environment where all individuals can thrive.
We promise to always use our voices to stand up for what we believe in.
As we continue to learn and listen to so much that is happening in our world, we know we won't be capable of speaking up on every single thing we care about.
But that's okay.
We just promise to try our best along the way, and we hope you do, too.
If you've got this far, thank you so much for reading.
If there's anything A-Game Creations can do to help you, please don't hesitate to reach out.
We may be busy, but we're never too busy to do the right thing and be involved in important things we’re passionate about.
Please stay informed and be an active participant to make the world we all share a better place.