From his experience as a student paper writer in high school to his role as a full-time Detroit Free Press reporter, David Jesse (CU ’97) has a passion for journalism. At Cornerstone University, David pursued a degree in English and spent four years working for the campus newspaper. In addition to writing for the campus newspaper, he was the editor for three years, using the lessons he learned in class to cultivate quality content.
The Journey to Journalism
A high school teacher sparked David’s desire to be a reporter. He was encouraged to work for the school’s paper, and he became hooked. When David started at Cornerstone, he was eager to continue sharpening his writing skills. He signed up for the campus paper for the chance to talk with students and faculty, including Rex Rogers, a former CU president. The chance to interact and tell people’s stories is what solidified his hopes to have a career in journalism.
The CU Impact
From learning practical tools for writing stories to discovering new ways to apply his faith, Cornerstone supplied David with many valuable lessons. David went on to say that, “whether it was in classes with Dr. Judith Fabisch or Dr. Tim Detwiler or sitting in Professor Beach’s office talking about reporting and newspapers, I was trained to take what I was learning, examine it and apply it.”
David was drawn to reporting on higher education because “it’s a topic that touches on all areas of life.” With an endless list of topics to cover such as poverty, immigration, finance, politics or the modern sports culture, the variety and options of stories David has the honor of telling is limitless. Graduating from Cornerstone prepared him with an understanding of what higher education looks like. Working for the student paper also helped him know how to dive into a school and find the stories worth telling.
Success in the Process
Success is found through practice and experience. David expressed that CU impacted his career today through, “the countless hours I spent writing stories, laying out pages and editing stories for the campus newspaper, The Herald; this served as the backbone of my career.”
David was awarded by the Education Writers Association for being the top reporter in the country for 2018. David says that the most rewarding part of his job is, “the opportunity to make an impact—either in getting wrongs righted, laws changed or individual’s lives altered for the good.”
