Srijita Chattopadhyay

Finalist
Western Kentucky University
$1,500 Scholarship and Hearst Medallion

Title: Our Haven

Soumen Mukherjee grew up in small town India. His family comprised of his mother, father, younger brother and him.
Life was simple, and Mukherjee felt at home. Once high school had ended he decided to move out of the small town to educate himself and pursue a career. Mukherjee’s move led him from Odisha to Uttarakhand to North Carolina to Boston and finally to San Francisco in 2011.
This July fourth, Mukherjee will celebrate seven years in the Bay Area with his wife and kids.
Nearly 33 years since he left his home in India, he has crafted a new haven for him and his family.