A proud profession

I am proud to be part of a profession that has stood the test of time. Tocqueville praised the role journalism plays in a free democracy when our country was a fledgling group of states trying to organize into greatness.

Few professions face the level of public scrutiny that journalists do. Every day, people pick up newspapers and critically read the stories and headlines. Yet, the vast majority of those countless stories every day stand up to those millions of critical eyes.

I have become increasingly proud of my role as a journalism teacher. It's something I do in a classroom setting now. However, my role as a teacher did not begin when I first took my place near the front of the room three years ago. I have been teaching much longer than that. I was lucky enough to have young (and some not so young) journalists working under and along side me during my professional career. Some have really taken off:
- Matthew LaPlante was a young sports reporter under me who is now covering the military for the Salt Lake Tribune (Utah).
- Joey Sprinkle was in a career change when he became a journalist and worked under me. He went on to become a sports editor in Kansas.
- Morgan Ryan was unsure of his future in journalism when we hired him to work under me. He is now living in New Jersey and working for a national daily horse racing newspaper located in Manhattan.
- Jim Tankersley was a high school student when he wrote some stories for me in McMinnville, Ore. He was a talented young man who has excelled, winning a prestigious Livingston Award and now working a political reporter for the Chicago Tribune.

I don't take direct credit for any of those four. They deserve credit for the time and effort they have dedicated to becoming top-notch journalists. I am proud to have crossed paths with them early in their careers and hopefully to have provided some encouragement along the way.