Degree(s): BJ '54

Whereabouts: United States, California, Stanford

What was most interesting about your career?
I have had a variety of jobs, sometimes holding three part-time jobs at a time. I proofread, edited others’ work, wrote newsletters, counseled and taught and helped people find jobs. I liked best of all being the main news person in a small town, interviewing interesting people and covering all public meetings, getting to know about many kinds of personalities, businesses, and the political/governmental processes.

How did you get your first job?
I wrote to the newspaper of the town we were moving to, and they hired me. It turned out to be cold calling to sell classified ads, rather than write stories as I wanted. I quit after three miserable months.

What is the best professional lesson that you learned while at the J-School?
Verify your information in several ways. Write concisely.

What advice do you have for current students?
Keep up-to-date on the technology of your trade. Pick a topic or area at which to become expert and write about that.

What did you want to be as a child?
A foreign correspondent. Not too practical for a mother of four children. Instead, I have settled for a lot of foreign travel vacations.