Mentoring experience spurs DCAA program

When I was driving home to Milwaukee this June, I took the scenic route from my home in Columbia, Mo. I sped along Highway 63, which led me through the dusty town of Kirksville, population 11,000 and change.

Although Kirksville is only 90 miles away from Columbia, the opportunities presented by the two towns are worlds apart. Had it not been for a mentor and friend, Steve Lorenzo, I would never have known this. I would never know the joys of teaching at the University of Missouri.

In the summer of 1996, I was struggling to make a decision. The Kirksville Daily News had offered me a job. I would be able to select my own beats, work for a daily newspaper and set my own hours. I had also been accepted to UW's graduate school program. There, I could teach a news writing class, continue my work at the Cardinal and remain on the night desk part-time at the Wisconsin State Journal.

The pros and cons rattled in my head for days after I got the call from Kirksville. I felt the money was good, the opportunity was good and I could call my own shots. Then again, it was really far away, the town didn't seem all that appealing and what about teaching? I'd always wanted to take a shot at teaching journalism. If I didn't get my master's, that might never happen.

I knew I had to make a decision and I also knew that I didn't know what decision to make. No one I knew had been through this before. I picked up the phone and I tracked down Steve Lorenzo, who had taught my first news writing class at the UW. I found him in New York, where he was a technical writer for the city. We talked about Kirksville for a while and Steve started asking questions I had never thought to ask.

What's the potential for advancement? What kind of learning can I do there? Can you move to bigger papers in the company chain? Where do the people who leave the paper go?

I still liked the idea of full-time employment. It beat the hell out of worrying about making rent every month. He then started asking questions that really hit home.

What's the social life like out there? How close is the nearest major city? Does this fit your idea of a good place to live? We talked some more, I thanked him for his time and hung up. After another day or two, I called Kirksville and told them I'd be staying in Wisconsin. The point I hope I'm making here is this: Had it not been for Steve and his help, I'd have missed out on so many great opportunities. His mentoring and advice helped me make the right decision. I stuck with the graduate program, taught at UW-Madison and worked at the Journal. Once I finished my degree, I took a position on Mizzou's faculty and I couldn't be happier.

I'm sure each one of you can look back into your past and find someone who did the same thing for you. As the chairman of the Daily Cardinal Alumni Association Mentoring Program, I am asking you to do that for someone else.

My hope for this program is that alums from around the country can provide sound advice for those Cardinals who are just getting their wings. The time and help you provide can give these people an immeasurable advantage when it comes to their experiences in the journalism world.

It takes so little to help. You can do simple things, like reading a cover letter over email and helping the student rework difficult portions. You can help the student craft a resume or build a portfolio. You can answer questions that will help him or her find the right internship or job. Better yet, you can ask the questions that will turn difficult decisions into easy ones.

As someone who has found employment, you know what papers, TV stations, magazines and the like are looking for. Simply sharing that knowledge can mean the world to someone who is looking to find that first internship or job.

Essentially, the program is about providing help in any form needed. You can work with students at the paper or help the students make the transition from college to their first real jobs.

Many of us joined the Cardinal to make a difference. By taking part in this program, you can do just that.

Those interested in talking with me about the mentoring program can contact him via e-mail at jourvf@showme.missouri.edu.

Vincent F. Filak is a professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism. He served as business manager of The Daily Cardinal from 1995 to 1997 and is now a member of the DCAA Board of Directors.