Dr. Szuminsky tirelessly taught myself and my peers the ins and outs of the field of journalism, in minute detail. He taught us to analyze story structure, word choice, literary devices, direct quotation and objectivity. He sat with us for hours upon hours in his tiny office, crowded by photographs and books, meticulously editing our articles in blue ink and illegible scrawl. Dr. Szuminsky has a passion for journalism that is infectious; and under his wing, I have developed the same zeal. Every article is an intricate project – warranting hours of proofreading and editing, looking at examples and brainstorming new reporting projects. He lauded the greater purpose of journalism — protecting democracy and the First Amendment. His fervor is intoxicating, and he gave me ambition.