Saraf K. wants to travel the world, filming interesting things about exciting places.
Saraf K. was at a concert when she learned she could enter Western Union’s selfie contest for a chance to win $500 and appear in a cross-Canada outdoor advertising campaign this fall. Admired as the “selfie queen” among her friends, she decided to choose her best photo and submit it, without ever thinking she would win anything.
When she first found out her photo was one of several being considered as a finalist, Saraf didn’t tell her friends and family at first.
“I thought, ‘what if I don’t win?’ I didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t want to jinx it,” she says. “Once I found out I really did win and I told my family, they were really happy for me and my friends were really excited.”
Money transfers help family in Bangladesh
Saraf’s parents use Western Union to send money back home to help support grandparents and siblings in Bangladesh.
Her father also owns and manages a garments factory back home and uses Western Union to send money to help run the business.
A creative spirit
Saraf studies Journalism at the University of Toronto and plans to graduate with a BA degree in 2017. After that, she hopes to travel the world making TV documentaries about fascinating destinations, detailing how people live, the histories of their civilizations and the best places to visit.
She recently tried her hand at her dream job on a smaller scale when she completed a whirlwind tour of San Fransisco, San Diego, Vegas, London and Dublin, and posted videos online for her friends and family. But travel and documentaries aren’t her only passions. Saraf also enjoys singing, dancing, drawing and photography.
“I want to be in entertainment or something entertainment related,” she confesses. “I’d love to be a singer. I sing indie pop and write my own songs.”
Photo shoot is a surreal experience
With so many creative talents, it’s not surprising Saraf won a spot as one of the Faces of This Is WU. She is enjoying every minute of the weekend photo shoot including picking out her clothes, getting her hair and makeup done, and having her photos taken by a professional photographer at fun locations around downtown Toronto. She’s even impressed by the location selected for all the pre-shoot activities.
“When I walked into the building, I thought, ‘this is a really cool place – OK, this is really happening’,” she says. “It’s really surreal.”
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