1. Who encouraged the author's fascination with Asian religions?
Rachel McDermott encouraged the author's fascination with Asian religions. As a first-year student at Barnard College, the author took Rachel McDermott's course on Indian civilizations, which sparked their interest in the study of Asian religions. This led the author to spend their junior year studying in South and Southeast Asia, including Myanmar. Rachel McDermott's encouragement played a significant role in shaping the author's academic journey and research focus.
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