Telling Stories That Matter at Voice of America

By Dean’s Intern Joe Kelly at Voice of America

A year of hard work and dedication is about to pay off.  My time at VOA has been one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences during my time at AU.  This June, the documentary I have been working on for the last six months will finally be released (stay tuned for the title).  It follows the Afghanistan National Institute of Music and their dramatic escape from the country following the Taliban’s takeover in August. I encourage anyone who is reading this to look into the life of Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, the man who founded the school. The heroism he has shown throughout his life is truly amazing.  More people should know about his work and how he saved the lives of 273 people last August .  Of course, he is a main character in our documentary so keep an eye out for that as well!  I can’t tell you how excited I am for people’s reaction to the film when it comes out.

The research I have been doing has been extremely fascinating  and seeing it on the big screen will be a dream come true.  I will not lie, there have been times throughout the last year in which Beth, Katie, and I have had tremendous challenges getting everything in order for this documentary to be made.  That just makes it all the more rewarding to see the finished product.  When I see my name in the credits, I will take comfort in knowing I played a small role in something very important.