How I found my Voice - Thanks to Professor Jerry Pinto

People often ask me how I became a content creator, learned to write, and—most importantly—how I found the courage to stand up for myself. The answer is simple: Professor Jerry Pinto.

I still remember our first day in class. Forty girls, all slightly nervous, trying to figure out what journalism school had in store. Jerry walked in and said something none of us expected:

“You will not call me ‘Sir’. I haven’t been knighted by the Queen of England. I’m not your teacher. Call me Mr. Pinto or Jerry.”

We were stunned.

Then came a question that truly shook us up:

“How many of you can ask your friend to return the money they borrowed, without feeling guilty or awkward?”

Only a few of us raised our hands—including me.

Then he asked,

“How many of you have money saved up that nobody knows about?”

Again, just a few hands went up. Mine included.

And then… the real shocker. He told each of us to stand up and say, “F@k off.”*

You can imagine our expressions. We were frozen. Some giggled nervously, some refused. Why would a professor ask this on the first day?

Later, he explained:

1. To remind us to fight for our rights. To ask for what’s due—our payments, our respect, our space. Never be a scapegoat in any organisation. If they don’t value you, walk away.

2. To always have your own back. Life is unpredictable—whether it's losing a job, being stuck in a toxic marriage, or unexpected crises—you must have financial independence.

3. To never fear authority. Someday, you may have a boss who belittles or bullies you. Will you take it quietly, or will you speak up?

Turns out, that voice he helped me discover made me “Jhansi Ki Rani” in the field and at work. Not because I was rebellious—but because I stood for my stories, my values, and my team. I didn’t raise my voice—I used it. That’s the difference.

Then came the bowl.

He handed each of us a chit with a location in Mumbai. That was our beat for the year. But not where we were from—far from it.

If you lived in Colaba, you got Vasai. If you’d never taken a local train, you would now—every day.

It was a masterstroke.

We had to go out, explore, talk to strangers, find real stories.

No Google, no shortcuts. If the task was to find the oldest person in your locality, you’d learn to go to the BMC office. If you had to find a passionate artist or hear local gossip—you’d befriend the panwala, the rickshaw driver, the fish vendor. And we did. That’s how I learned conversation skills that still serve me today.

And yes—some tried to cut corners using Google. Jerry caught them.

“You will never be original if you cut, copy, and paste,” he said.

“Your story will have no flavour. No authenticity. No YOU.”

That lesson hit home. It still drives how I create content today.

Another golden moment:

“Do you have a diary with phone numbers?” he asked. “Are you still in touch with those people?”

This was before mobile phones, social media, or WhatsApp groups.

He said,

“Your diary is your lifeline. Your network is your net worth. People matter. Connections matter. You never know who knows whom—or when and how that connection will come back to help you.”

That’s how I built not just a career, but a life.

Years later, at an alumni meet, Jerry looked at me and asked,

“Sandhya, do you still have your savings or have you splurged it all?”

I laughed and said, “Yes, I have them.”

He smiled and replied, “I’m proud of you.”

That moment meant everything.

Teachers shape who we become.

SCM Sophia College did exactly that for me.

That’s why I started our alumni WhatsApp group, Something Changed Me. Because it truly did. SCM changed me.

And it gave me friends who are now names you know—Richa Chadda, RJ Malishka, Reema Kagti, and Vidya from Aaj Tak. But we’re not in touch as celebrities. We’re there for each other—as classmates, colleagues, and humans. No tags, just trust.

SCM is where you go when you want to learn not just media—but life.

Here are hashtag sets you can use based on different platforms and tone:

SCM Unplugged SCM Jobs, Freelance, Internships Nirmita Gupta Sophia Polytechnic 

#SCMSophiaCollege #JerryPinto #MediaMentor #MyProfessorMyHero #ContentCreatorJourney #VoiceOfWomen #StandUpForYourself #JournalismLife #TeacherTribute #AlumniPride #LifeLessons #WomenInMedia #BossYourMind #MediaEducation #RealStoriesRealPeople

#GrowthMindset  #PowerOfMentorship 

 #bethechange 

#bossyourmind  #StorytellerLife #OriginalVoices #NoCopyPa