Maria Ressa, the author of How to Stand up to a Dictator, is a renowned journalist, media executive, and advocate for press freedom. Her background and experiences have significantly shaped her perspective and approach to the topics discussed in her book.

Born in 1963 in Manila, Philippines, Ressa moved to the United States at the age of ten when her mother remarried an American. This early experience of cultural transition appears to have influenced her ability to bridge different worlds and perspectives, a skill evident throughout her book. In the United States, Ressa attended Toms River High School North in New Jersey, where she excelled academically and participated in various extracurricular activities, including music and student government.

Ressa’s higher education took place at Princeton University, where she studied molecular biology and theater. This interdisciplinary background is reflected in her analytical approach to journalism, combining scientific rigor with a storyteller’s sensibility. At Princeton, Ressa was deeply influenced by the university’s Honor Code, which emphasizes personal integrity and collective responsibility. This ethical foundation would later inform her approach to journalism and her stance against corruption and authoritarianism.

After graduating from Princeton, Ressa returned to the Philippines on a Fulbright Fellowship.