Michael Morella ’10 Associate Editor at U.S. News & World Report

In my work as a reporter/editor, I'm spoiled by extended deadlines, which allow me to sink my teeth into research just like the kind I worked on as a student; I encounter and am expected to analyze a large variety of sources on a daily basis, which I'm sure I couldn't do so quickly if not for my experience interacting with a great variety of texts in English courses (Middle English tales, novels in translation, science and nature writing, contemporary poetry, pop music lyrics, films); and I regularly engage with a wide range of scholars, specialists, and colleagues, made all the easier by the small-class discussions and one-on-one conversations that were everyday occurrences in Payne Hall. I might no longer be able to explain how the Great Vowel Shift impacted the English language or rattle off biographical details about James Joyce, but I still savor my ability to read closely, think critically, and write carefully. No matter if I'm reporting for work or reading for pleasure, I truly make use of the lessons I learned and the perspective I gained as a Washington and Lee English student every single day.