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You don't become what you want, you become what you believe.

-Oprah Winfrey

Shreya speaking at the USC Baccalaureate Ceremony – Bovard Auditorium 2023

Latest Work

Ad Council •

Caleb Williams Talks Mental Health | Seize the Awkward

Star USC quarterback Caleb Williams partners with the Seize the Awkward campaign to encourage young people to check in with their peers and have open conversations about mental health. Co-directed by Shreya Ranganathan. This student-produced PSA is a collaboration between the Ad Council, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, The Jed Foundation, Caleb Cares Foundation, and the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Williams shares that he hopes everyone sees “the importance of supporting your friends and what a huge difference that can make in someone’s life.”

For resources and conversation starters to talk with friends about mental health visit SeizeTheAwkward.org and follow @SeizeTheAwkward on Instagram.

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The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. We bring together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation’s most important causes. We’ve created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history in order to raise awareness, inspire action and save lives.

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Daily Trojan •

Golden money maker — I mean, milk latte

Parched on a cold day, I stumbled into a local New York City coffee shop. That’s when I spotted a gleaming drink, the soon-to-be bane of my existence. The words “Best Seller,” draped over the cup captured my gaze instantly. I kept reading — I wish I hadn’t. Agave, oat milk and (dun dun dun!) turmeric.

Oh, turmeric. A dear friend that has lived in my grandmother’s anjarai petti, or spice box, since childhood was now sitting on a throne next to good old pumpkin spice like, “You prayed on my downf
Annenberg Media •

Chef Jet Tila shares more than just food at the L.A. Times Festival of Books

Jet Tila makes you hungry just speaking to him—for the 101 Thai-inspired dishes in his new cookbook, yes, but for more than just food. His words make you hungry for an answer to where his love for Thai cuisine stems from, hungry for a menu of his nonlinear pathway to education, hungry for how it all shaped him, but most of all hungry for his insights on Southeast Asian representation in media.

Tila’s first-generation immigrant family had a special role in carving a space for Thai culture and tr
Annenberg Media •

Decolonizing yoga in the West

“Yoga is a discipline that opens the door to inner freedom.”

Growing up in California, I often felt uneasy in yoga studios that had white, fit instructors guiding us all through elaborate poses while distorting the word “Ohm.” It was as if this chance to align my body and spirit required an open mind and, more importantly, an open wallet. My limited knowledge of yoga at the time made me see the entire process as a simple trend representing a small group of people t

Healthy Young Minds: Media, Mental Health, Connection

In May 2023, Shreya moderated a town hall with Dr. Vivek Murthy, United States Surgeon General, and Jim Steyer, CEO and founder of Common Sense Media. They chatted about trends in entertainment, reporting on the youth mental health and connection crisis – and how journalism and media can be part of the solution.

Watch this 🏈

Shreya co-directed a nationwide mental health PSA with USC Quarterback Caleb Williams, AdCouncil, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and JED! The PSA aired on ESPN and was covered by news outlets such as Bleacher Report, USA Today,  USC Annenberg Media and more. The goal: erase the stigma surrounding mental health conversations and help more students "Seize the Awkward!" Check it out!

PSA Premiere and Panel

Directorial debut at the "Seize the Awkward" PSA premiere with Dean Willow Bay and Star Trojan Quarterback, Caleb Williams – USC Wallis Annenberg Hall 2022

About Shreya 

Shreya Ranganathan is a proud South Asian American  multimedia journalist and filmmaker fueled by curiosity, creativity and gratitude. She has experience reporting, writing, editing, producing and directing short and long-form content and is interested in working in broadcast and digital journalism.  Shreya is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Journalism and a concentration in Screenwriting from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and School of Cinematic Arts. She is also a certified yoga instructor! Her mission: merge her passion for culture, wellness,  journalism and mental health storytelling to help more individuals feel and heal by finding the “me” in media.