Editor’s note: This month, we bring you brief reminders from pros around the world about what or who helped them forward in their careers.

Nick Russell was the journalism professor who made my career possible. He accepted me into a 2-year community college journalism program in Vancouver, Canada, even though I couldn’t type and didn’t have a driver’s license. He said I had 10 days to present a license when class started, and I had to take typing and shorthand classes. Otherwise it was two challenging years learning every aspect of newspaper reporting, which culminated in a job as a newspaper section editor right after graduation. He taught me skills I still use every day, more than 40 years later.

A few years ago there was a 50th anniversary party for the journalism department, and I got to tell Nick in person how much his teaching meant to me.

Dianne Jacob ~ writer and coach, author of  “Will Write for Food”

Most popular articles from Nieman Storyboard

Show comments / Leave a comment