As a first-year student arriving at Penn from Bangalore, India, Anika Gururaj didn’t have a clear idea of what she wanted to study. However, her initial class with Professor Jessa Lingel changed that. The course “Critical Approaches to Popular Culture” caught Gururaj’s interest as it combined theoretical learning with practical implications, making it feel contemporary and relevant to real-world events.
This sparked Gururaj’s interest in communication studies and eventually led her to declare a major in communication at the Annenberg School for Communication. Another significant academic experience for Gururaj was taking “Communication in the Networked Age” with Sandra González-Bailón. This course prompted her to consider the impact of technologies like Facebook and Instagram on privacy and free speech, leading her to delve into independent study on the Digital Services Act (DSA) within the European Union, which regulates privacy laws for social media platforms operating in the EU.
González-Bailón believes that pursuing law school is a natural next step for Gururaj, allowing her ideas to solidify and expand on current regulatory frameworks. Gururaj’s dedication to analyzing legal principles, understanding their implications, and exploring the delicate balance between free expression and privacy rights has prepared her for the next chapter in her academic and professional journey.
In addition to these experiences, Gururaj also took a course on the history and theory of freedom of expression taught by Carolyn Marvin. This class sparked her interest in the intersection of law and communication as she found herself drawn to legal cases, rhetoric, and literature.
Overall, Gururaj’s academic journey has been shaped by diverse courses that have helped her explore different areas of interest and develop critical thinking skills. Her passion for communication studies has led her down an exciting path that has prepared her for further education or even a career in this field.