One of the many reasons I love journalism is the people it allows me to meet. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of interviewing John Fresen, a native South African who now teaches statistics at MU. I spoke with him about his memories of Nelson Mandela, whom he knew personally, but in the course of the conversation we touched on many other areas of John’s life. 

He was, without a doubt, one of the most pleasant and interesting people I have met. In a word, he was lovely. The combination of his charm, humor and his fascinating life story (even the parts that didn’t involve Mandela or Desmond Tutu were captivating) made him a wonderful person to interview. 

Without journalism, I would never meet interesting people like John Fresen. Being a reporter opens me up to amazing opportunities and people which I would never experience or meet otherwise.