Naman Shrestha
The survival show, ‘Survivor,’ introduces us to different kinds of personalities coming from different walks of life. In the 47th season of the CBS series, one of the participants who gained the viewers’ attention due to her extrovert nature and problem-solving traits was Anika Dhar. Since she could blend herself in and fit in with all types of people, Anika was one of the contenders who had a chance to go very far in the competition from the get-go. She believed that her intuition would come in handy and she could outplay and outlast her other competitors.
Anika Dhar Takes Inspiration From Her Mother
Born on September 24, 1997, to Santa Rosa cardiologist Sanjay Dhar and Mona Dhar, Anika Leia Dhar grew up in a loving and supportive household accompanied by her brother Akshey Dhar. Her mother’s perseverance and courageous nature in the face of adversity served as an inspiration to her as Anika strives to become as good of a person as her. However, the picture-perfect family of the Dhars endured a tragedy when their Santa Rosa house was destroyed by the California Tubbs Wildfire. According to her, this incident changed her and made her more ready than ever to take on the challenge of surviving on the island.
She told Parade, “It was really shocking, very unexpected. Really emotional for me, my family, and my community. But what I will say is that I learned throughout that process and dealing with it how to live with nothing. So I think that that mentally prepared me, going through that life experience, to be on the island. Because without your phone, without your mementos, without your family, with nothing, some people can be driven crazy. But I think that, genuinely, that life experience prepared me for this moment so that I can focus on the game instead of thinking of things back home or thinking of things that I’m missing. I’m going to be so focused out there.” In that fire, Anika lost several valuable possessions, including cards from family and friends, art projects, and much more.
Anika Dhar is Employed at a Reputable Marketing Agency
Anika Leia Dhar was raised in Santa Rosa, where she began going to the Dance Center Santa Rosa from the time she was just four years old. While going to Maria Carrillo High School, she was not only academically sound, but she also actively took part in extra-curricular activities in school. For instance, she served as Associated Student Body president during her senior year before she graduated in 2015. By that time, she had also worked as a dance teacher at Dance Center Santa Rosa for a few months. For higher studies, she went to Boston University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing. During her four years in college, she was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta International Sorority, and a competitive hip-hop dance troupe called BU Fusion.
From September 2016 to August 2018, Anika worked a part-time job as a Marketing Manager at Pamposh Restaurant, taking the first step into her professional career. In between, she also interned at Gray Rambusch Inc. for five months and served as a Brand Outreach Officer at Off the Cuff Magazine. In January 2019, she joined a full-service marketing organization called AMP Agency as a Project Management Intern. Over the years, she impressed her superiors with her work ethic and earned multiple promotions. Since January 2023, she has been working as the Manager of Finance and Operations in the company. Her responsibilities include gathering all the data points, analyzing them, and coming up with ideas to keep moving the business forward.
Anika Loves to Satiate Her Wanderlust With Her Partner and Friends
When Anika Dhar is not busy handling her responsibilities at work, she either spends time with her friends or with herself, doing what she loves doing — traveling, dancing, cooking, gardening, meditating, and being a plant mom. Right before she participated in ‘Survival 47,’ she was busy exploring some exotic locations with her longtime boyfriend, Léon Iglesias, and other friends, such as the Netherlands and Costa Rica.
She added more places to her traveling diary even after the show, as she took a trip to Maui in Hawaii, South Lake Tahoe in California, and Sand Harbor Beach in Nevada. During her travels, she also likes to surf over the waters with her friends. In order to celebrate her boyfriend’s birthday, she and their mutual friends had a fun birthday weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. As of today, she resides in the City of Angels and maintains a healthy relationship with Léon, her friends, and her family.
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