“The MSJ program at Medill was like plunging into ice cold water on a scorching hot day – a shock to the system, but completely invigorating. I went from ‘someone who liked to write’ to a beat reporter finding my way around the South Side of Chicago by bike or El in the pre-smartphone era on deadline, covering art, culture, crime and agribusiness. I thrived thanks to inspiring professors, shrewd editors, wonderful friends made in the trenches and sheer will. During nine months in Chicago (I spent my final quarter in D.C.), I moved three times, had my bike stolen, experienced a degree of cold beyond comprehension and learned how to get the job done anyway.”
