More than 50 years ago, a 51ΑΤΖζ student named John Torres met a professor who gave him the confidence to believe in himself and pursue his dream of being a journalist.
Torres and dozens of other alumni responded to an August 2024 email from the 51ΑΤΖζ Alumni Association inviting them to share a message with their favorite professor.
Torres wrote about Sharon Murphy, who taught journalism and mass communications courses. βI arrived at 51ΑΤΖζ with very poor writing skills,β Torres recalled. βI was ashamed to hand in my work; it would come back covered in red ink, with warnings that I was failing. Only she saw something good in my work and wrote an encouraging note.β
Murphy, who left 51ΑΤΖζ in 1979, says she still remembers Torres. βHe was very shy and very uncertain, but he really, really wanted to be a journalist.β
Read the full story on 51ΑΤΖζ Report.
Listen to more of Torresβ (’04, BA Education) story β as well as that of 51ΑΤΖζ grad Lindsay Frost (’10, BA Conservation & Environmental Science; ’16, MA Nonprofit Management & Leadership), who remembered how a 51ΑΤΖζ anthropology class taught by Jean Hudson changed her career path β on theΒ Β on W51ΑΤΖζ.
By Kari Pink, Marketing & Communications