• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Thursday, May 19, 2022
REPORTING MOROCCO REPORTING MOROCCO
REPORTING MOROCCO REPORTING MOROCCO
  • Home
  • Nation
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Environment
    • Education
  • Art & Culture
    • Food
    • Art
    • Music
    • Fashion
  • Religion
  • Health & Science
    • Public Health
  • Our Student Journalists
    • Spring 2020
      • Anna Mitchell
      • Antonia Knox
      • Aviva Rosenberg
      • Corrine Schmaedeke
      • Elijah McKee
      • Gari De Ramos
      • Harrison Daley
      • Jessica Blough
      • Kathryn Jefferson
      • Marlon Hyde
      • Nejra Kravic
      • Solaine Carter
    • In Other Media
  • Alumni
    • Fall 2019
      • Rachel Berets
      • Chloe Chaobal
      • Ella Feldman
      • Ryley Graham
      • Georgia Knoles
      • Patrick Linehan
      • Mimi Miyamoto
      • Stella Shi
      • Bella Staal
      • N’Kaela Webster
      • Ellie Zimmerman
    • Spring 2019
      • Alexis Broadnax
      • Amelia Keesler
      • Anton Delgado
      • Austin Corona
      • Catherine Brewer
      • Chris Dillon
      • Giulia Villanueva
      • Lauren Goldfarb
      • Lexi Reich
      • Mac Dressman
      • Malaya Nordyke
      • Margaret Dols
      • Mary Bernard
      • Maya London-Southern
      • Michelle Li
      • Shelby Kluver
      • Stephen Higgins
      • Viviana Prado-Núñez
    • Fall 2018
      • Alexandria Saurman
      • Alexis Miller
      • Brionne Frazier
      • Jabari Richardson
      • Jordyn Congelli
      • Kylie Wilder
      • Megan O’Herron
      • Sam Metivier
      • Zoe Buchli
    • Spring 2018
      • Alyssa Kann
      • Anna Bongardino
      • Carrie Boike
      • Emily Vega
      • Erika Riley
      • Hadley Stack
      • Joseph Held
      • Matthew McDermott
      • Molly Keisman
      • Najah Mateen
      • Olivia Lewis
      • Ryan Terhune
    • Fall 2017
      • Andrew Seger
      • Claire Franksen
      • Clara Neill
      • Jeanette Lam
      • Justin Cates
      • Katie Koontz
      • Lara Korte
      • Lars Brady
      • Lars Brady
      • Livvy Fore
      • Olivia Kohn
      • Rita Carmona
      • Sophie Nunnally
      • Sophie Pollock
    • Spring 2017
      • Allie Merola
      • Anisha Wilson
      • Connor Shannon
      • David Fuchs
      • Deborah Katsuva
      • Evan Popp
      • Katharine Milbradt
      • Kesley Cochran
      • Mary Chen
      • Mary Mathis
      • Max Jodoin
      • Micaela Harris
      • Perry DeMarche
      • Regan Reeck
      • Sophie Alexander
      • Tamara Matheson
      • Zakiyyah Maryam
    • Fall 2016
      • Celia Heudebourg
      • DeJah Ault
      • Dewborah Honore
      • Jessica Lartigue
      • Margaret Britton-Mehlisch
      • Phoebe Osterhout
      • Regan Reek
      • Shirley Chan
      • Sonia Mohammadzadah
      • Taylor Burris
    • Spring 2016
      • Amelia Palacios
      • Becca Dewosky
      • Cannon Sullivan
      • Danielle Douglas
      • Daria Etezadi
      • Elaina Zachos
      • Julia Cabrera
      • Kainoelani Lee
      • Kelsey Hanson
      • Mackenzie Ritter
      • Madeline Hughes
      • Molly Mulroy
      • Oly Zayac
      • Savin Mattozzi
      • Shiloh Frederick
      • Viviane Feldman
      • Wesley Lickus
    • Fall 2015
      • Allegra Thomas
      • Christopher Lowell
      • Darren Spirk
      • Hannah Steinkopf-Frank
      • Jennifer Kwon
      • Kayla Dwyer
      • Mitchell McCluskey
      • Nora Kipniss
      • Rob Dozier
      • Rob Dozier
      • Simneon Lancaster
      • Trey Strange
    • Spring 2015
      • Ben Bartenstein
      • Brennan Weiss
      • Emma Sikora Paulus
      • Evan Verploegh
      • Evin Billington
      • Hayden Crowell
      • Julia Barstow
      • Julia Levine
      • Kacie Graves
      • Kiannah Sepeda-Miller
      • La’akea Kaufman
      • Mackenzie Martin
      • Mary Byrne
      • Paris Alston
      • Samantha Weiss
      • Sofie Tapia
      • William Matsuda
    • 2014 Students
    • 2013 Students

Alumni Spotlight: Jeanette Lam

March 24, 2019 By Student Writer

By Lexi Reich

Unsure of which study abroad program to choose, Jeanette Lam, 21, left the decision to a coin toss. Through that chance and the SIT journalism program in Morocco, she found herself in Paris last summer working as a cinematographer and editing assistant on a feature documentary.

“France’s Children,” directed by Aida Alami, advisor to the SIT program, follows the story of an immigration activist in France, and other activists who, fueled by the desire to empower their community, reject victimhood.

“This experience was one of the most unique opportunities I’ve ever had,” Lam said.

She filmed hour long interviews without understanding French, which taught her to be hyper-aware of subtleties in body language and gestures that are often overlooked. She learned to edit on French Premiere Pro without being able to read French, but this taught her to problem-solve on her feet.

“It gave me the confidence to really believe that I can rise to any challenge that appears seemingly unconquerable,” Lam said.

Alami hired Lam after working together to produce Lam’s independent study project in Morocco, a short documentary called “The Last Hands in Zellige.” Published in USA Today in June 2018, the piece was the first Lam has published internationally.

“The SIT program just throws you right in and pushes you to truly learn through hands-on experience,” she added.

The documentary explores the endangered traditional art of tile-making. The film profiles Driss Zourgane, a 36-year-old worker in Ain Qbib, Fes, Morocco who dropped out of school at the age of seven to become his family’s sole breadwinner.

Many of Lam’s films grapple with issues such as cultural erasure, race and oppression, requiring Lam to handle complex narratives with caution and care, she said.

“I am passionate about sharing stories which allow for deeper understandings of people and communities,” Lam said.

Lam is a senior at the University of Richmond studying leadership, journalism and film. She was intrigued by SIT’s journalism program, officially known as the Field Studies in Journalism and New Media program, because it promised professional mentorship and the opportunity to work in the field.

“As a young creative, I think two things are the most important — people who believe in you while you’re still learning to believe in yourself, and opportunities to learn, fail, learn, fail and learn again,” Lam said.

While in Morocco, Lam learned to appreciate a different notion of time. Used to the fast-paced culture of America, Lam noticed that Moroccans approached life at their own pace.

“Don’t worry, there’s no problem,” Lam’s host dad would tell her.

Every day, things would happen that she couldn’t prepare for, whether her interview subjects showed up late, her taxi driver took her to the wrong place or her translator canceled last minute. As frustrating as it was, Lam learned to accept there were things she simply could not control.

She started functioning with the mantra that five things would go wrong every day. If less than that went wrong, it was a good day.

“They have a very optimistic way of life that celebrates enjoying time and not just hustling every second of every day,” Lam said. “It was hard to adjust to at first, but now it’s something I deeply appreciate and wish we had more of back in America.”

Lam is currently working on a documentary film about a storytelling program between first-year University of Richmond students and juvenile inmates in Richmond. She hopes this documentary will encourage people to learn more about juvenile justice by both humanizing marginalized communities and helping viewers better understand young people’s stories.

“Everyone has a story to tell, they just need someone to ask,” Lam said. “So, ask the people around you about their lives and listen intentionally, you might be surprised at the connections you’ll make.”

Lexi Reich Tagged With: alumni, journalism, Morocco, Profile, Rabat, Reporting Morocco, SIT, SIT study abroad, student spotlight

Reader Interactions

Photo by WBUR Alumni

A reporter for Boston’s unheard voices: Spotlight on MOJ alum Paris Alston

Photo: WBUR by Ellie Zimmerman Paris Alston nearly studied abroad in Paris out of obligation … Read Full Article

Alumni

Alumni Update: Eboni Bell

I am so happy to hear that MOJ is still going strong! I just graduated from Spelman in May; now I am … Read Full Article

Alumni

Alumni Update: Jacqueline Kantor

I graduated from UNC in May and am in D.C. working for high school sports at the Washington Post. … Read Full Article

Primary Sidebar

FOLLOW REPORTING MOROCCO

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Handprints in Oudayas

More Featured Photos

ALUMNI JOURNALISTS

Alumni Spotlight: Ben Bartenstein

SIT Students Visit Alum Perry DeMarche at Dar Si Hmad

Moroccan families mourn drowning of 45 who used risky migration route to Spain

Photo by WBUR

A reporter for Boston’s unheard voices: Spotlight on MOJ alum Paris Alston

More Alumni Posts

The Program

Reporting Morocco is produced by U.S. university students on an SIT Study Abroad program called Morocco: Field Studies in Journalism and New Media. They are mentored by veteran journalists from The New York Times, The Associated Press, and Round Earth Media in a program applying technology and global consciousness to produce high-impact journalism on vital social issues.

Reporting Morocco strives to be a reliable resource for news and information about Morocco.

Learn More

SIT Logo

A pioneer in experiential, field-based study abroad, SIT (founded as the School for International Training) provides more than 60 semester and summer programs for undergraduate students in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as comparative programs in multiple locations.

Morocco: Field Studies in Journalism and New Media is a program of SIT Study Abroad.

  • The World Learning Inc. Family:
  • experiment.org
  • https://studyabroad.sit.edu
  • worldlearning.org

Footer

  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Apply
  • Alumni
  • Alumni Connect
  • Give
  • Media Center
  • Request Info
  • SIT Stories
  • School for International Training

    1 Kipling Road • Brattleboro, VT 05302 • 802 257-7751 • 800 257-7751 (toll-free in the US)
    SIT is a private nonprofit institution of higher education.

  • Explore SIT Graduate Institute

    © Copyright World Learning, Inc.