Pune, India
Grant Watson
Forbes Marshall
Before coming to Stanford, I would have never imagined myself visiting, let alone working in, India. I thought it too foreign, too unruly, too uncomfortable. However, when the opportunity to work for Forbes Marshall arose, I decided to push myself and took the job. In retrospect, I couldn’t have made a better choice. Everyone was extremely welcoming, the work was engaging, and I quickly developed close friendships.
My perspective of India was a country of community, where the pillars of everyday life are family, friends, and unbridled hospitality. Within Forbes Marshall, I never felt like an outsider. Instead, I was treated as a close colleague both of those with and for whom I worked. That is not to say, however, that the rapidly-growing country is not facing challenges, especially as they relate to poverty, but it was heartening to both see and briefly engage with Forbes Marshall’s Corporate Social Responsibility work, which has brought immense progress to the lives of many in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area. I strongly encourage all to travel abroad and learn from diverse cultures and ways of life.