Conversations with Professionals

The one photo I actually took. Sorry Dave!

This morning Steve said something to me about the time with our professional mentors being really valuable. And regardless of how well I was listening to him (you can tell I how closely I was paying attention by how exact that quote isn’t) the moment I sat down at lunch, I knew he was right.

Our conversation with Jennifer McClellan, a Food & Dining writer for The Arizona Republic was wide-ranging, engaging, and so informative that I was too busy listening to really take notes or to try and get a decent picture.

She helped us focus our topics by bringing in a professional perspective and suggestions that showed how closely she was listening to our ideas. She told us about how she became interested in journalism and gave us so many tips on review writing that I think I’ll actually be able to help my students write some decent reviews next year. She even chatted with us about reporting on “Wolverine” (Yes. She interviewed Hugh Jackman. Yes. He has green eyes.) And despite all of this great information, the most impressive thing to me was the simple fact that she was there. She was taking time out of her day, her schedule, to help us in whatever way we needed to make our experience here at the Reynolds Institute more complete and to help our students become better reporters.

Which got me thinking that I should really try to bring some professionals into my journalism classroom to talk with my students about what they do, how they do it, and why. This real world connection would be so beneficial for them, especially if I can find some folks who are as dynamic and interesting as Jennifer.

Kari Koshiol

Benilde-St. Margaret's
Minneapolis, Minnesota