Reporter Luis Andres Henao and video journalist Jessie Wardarski of the Global Religion Team produced an exclusive all-formats account of the 18th birthday celebration of Jalue Dorje, who is preparing for the next step in his life: Years of study at a Himalayan monastery to fulfill his destiny as a reincarnated Buddhist lama. Three years ago, Henao and Wardarski began following the saga of Dorje, who was recognized as a child by the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist leaders as a reincarnated lama. The AP duo did an all-formats profile of Dorje in 2021, conveying how he had grown up a typical American teen in suburban Minneapolis, playing football, collecting Pokémon cards and listening to rap music, while also memorizing sacred scriptures, practicing calligraphy and learning the teachings of Buddha in preparation to become a monk. Keeping in touch with Dorje paid off, as Henao and Wardarski were the only journalists invited to cover an elaborate celebration of his 18th birthday and enthronement as a lama, attended by hundreds of admirers. Wardarski provided a video, and she and Henao provided an array of photos.
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