AMY MCFALL PRINCE

Now: Staff writer | The Columnian

Then: 2001 editor, The Oklahoma Daily

I stumbled into The Oklahoma Daily my sophomore year looking for a job and having absolutely no clue what reporting entailed.

I landed the job, which turned out to bethe best course I took in college. I started out as a lowly reporter and finished my senior year as editor of The Daily. There is no classroom exercise or textbook reading that can show a journalist the impact stories have on a family grieving the loss of a son, on administrators forming university policy or a culture responding to conflicts.

I had my share of success and failure, all of which was invaluable. The Oklahoma Daily was where I learned how to be a good journalist, made a lasting connection to the university and created lifelong friendships.