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By:

Kiran D. Tare

21 August 2024 at 11:23:13 am

Designing Life With Courage

From Thane to Chicago, Ilisha Sharma turned curiosity into courage, building a career in design while quietly shaping how people see, feel and trust. When Ilisha Sharma looks back, she is still surprised by how far curiosity can take a person. Growing up in Thane, India design was not an obvious career path, at least not in her family. Yet she was always drawn to grids, patterns and the aesthetics of nature, long before she had the words to describe those instincts. As a child, she explored...

Designing Life With Courage

From Thane to Chicago, Ilisha Sharma turned curiosity into courage, building a career in design while quietly shaping how people see, feel and trust. When Ilisha Sharma looks back, she is still surprised by how far curiosity can take a person. Growing up in Thane, India design was not an obvious career path, at least not in her family. Yet she was always drawn to grids, patterns and the aesthetics of nature, long before she had the words to describe those instincts. As a child, she explored many versions of herself — basketball player, swimmer, Kathak dancer, singer and pianist. But the artist was the one who endured. She was the child who stayed up late designing school posters, making birthday cards and filling notebook margins with doodles. Creativity was never separate from who she was. That instinct led to one of the biggest risks of her life. At 18, Sharma moved from Thane to the United States to study design at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). She had never lived alone, navigated airports or crossed continents by herself. She landed in Savannah, Georgia, without a U.S. phone number, a bank account or any real sense of how far from home she was — just an email from SCAD promising a shuttle at the airport. She remembers telling herself, “As long as I get off at the right terminal and find the right bus, I’ll be fine.” Quietly panicking, she still chose courage over comfort. That journey became the first defining step in a life shaped by uncertainty and conviction. At SCAD, Sharma majored in graphic design and minored in user experience, discovering that design shapes how people feel, think and trust. She graduated summa cum laude and, more importantly, found the kind of designer she wanted to be — one who blends creativity with strategy and emotion with clarity. Another leap came soon after graduation, when she secured an internship in Chicago at the exact agency she wanted: Design B&B. Her employment authorisation card had not arrived; she could not legally begin work without it, and she had no housing lined up. Still, she went. She booked an overnight flight, packed her life into eight suitcases, reserved an Airbnb for two nights, and arrived in Chicago without knowing where she would live or how long she could stay. That gamble paid off. Within two months, the internship became a full-time role. She eventually rose to the position of designer and head of social strategy. Brand Collaborations Today, her work includes collaborations with brands such as Pop-Tarts, Mars, Kellogg’s, Bic, IAMS, Town House, Simple Mills, Cadence OTC, Pull-Ups, Huggies and Aveeno. One of the most surreal moments in her career came during the rebrand of Naked Smoothies, when months of strategy and design finally appeared on supermarket shelves. In 2026, Sharma is also leading Design B&B’s Good Egg Grant, a programme that offers pro bono branding support to a Chicago nonprofit each year. This year, the agency is partnering with Friendship Center, a food pantry in Albany Park that provides groceries, hot meals and dignity to families in need. From Thane to Chicago, Sharma’s journey has been shaped by curiosity, courage and a willingness to choose uncertainty over comfort. In the process, she has done more than design brands — she has designed a life on her own terms.

Gun Violence in America

Updated: Jan 2, 2025

Gun Violence in America

On December 16, 2024, tragedy struck Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, where a 15-year-old student, Natalie Rupnow, fatally shot a fellow student and a teacher before taking her own life. Six others were injured, with two in critical condition. This devastating event is a grim reminder of the United States' ongoing struggle with gun violence, particularly in schools.


A Long History of Gun Ownership in America

The issue of gun violence in the United States cannot be discussed without acknowledging its deep-rooted history of gun ownership. The right to bear arms is enshrined in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1791, which states: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”


Initially, this amendment was intended to empower citizens to form militias for self-defense during a time when standing armies were distrusted. Over the centuries, however, the interpretation of the Second Amendment has evolved. Today, it is often cited as a justification for individual gun ownership, a concept reinforced by landmark court cases such as District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), which affirmed an individual's right to own firearms for self-defense.


Gun culture is deeply ingrained in American society, with nearly 400 million firearms in civilian hands—more guns than people. This level of accessibility, coupled with a powerful gun lobby led by organizations like the National Rifle Association (NRA), has made significant legislative reform difficult.


Gun Violence in Numbers

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), firearms cause approximately 40,000 deaths annually in the United States—equivalent to 109 deaths per day. This figure includes homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings. Among children and teenagers, firearms are now the leading cause of death, surpassing motor vehicle accidents.


School shootings are a particularly horrifying aspect of gun violence in America. Since 1990, there have been over 800 incidents in K-12 schools, resulting in more than 500 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. High-profile tragedies such as the Columbine High School massacre (1999), the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting (2012), and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School attack (2018) have shocked the nation and the world, yet meaningful reforms remain elusive.


A Global Comparison

The United States stands out among developed nations for its high rate of gun violence. In countries like Australia, Canada, and much of Europe, strict gun control measures have significantly reduced firearm-related deaths. For example: By contrast, the firearm-related death rate in the United States is 12.2 per 100,000 people, significantly higher than other developed nations. The prevalence of guns and the lack of uniform gun control laws contribute to this disparity.


Challenges in Addressing Gun Violence

Efforts to reduce gun violence in the U.S. have faced significant obstacles. One of the most notable is the prohibition of federal funding for gun violence research. In 1996, Congress passed the Dickey Amendment, effectively barring the CDC from studying gun violence as a public health issue. Although the funding ban was partially lifted in 2019, its legacy has left the country with a limited understanding of the causes and solutions to gun violence.


Advocates have long called for measures such as:

• Universal Background Checks: Closing loopholes in gun sales to ensure that all firearm purchases are subject to background checks.

• Safe Storage Laws: Requiring gun owners to store firearms securely to prevent unauthorized access.

• Bans on Certain Firearms: Prohibiting the sale of assault-style weapons, which are often used in mass shootings.


The Debate Over Gun Rights and Reform

The debate over gun control in the United States often pits the rights of gun owners against the need for public safety. Opponents of stricter gun laws argue that restrictions infringe on constitutional rights and fail to address the root causes of violence, such as mental health issues. Proponents, however, point to the success of gun control measures in other countries and the overwhelming public support for policies like background checks.


A Way Forward

Despite the challenges, there is growing momentum for change. Grassroots organizations, survivors of gun violence, and some lawmakers are advocating for comprehensive reforms. The Madison school shooting serves as a stark reminder of the urgency of these efforts. As the nation grapples with its gun violence epidemic, it must look to both its history and the experiences of other countries to find a path toward a safer future.


(The author is a resident of US. Views personal.)

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