Hello!

As a journalism professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 28 years, I taught and got to know many aspiring journalists. While it’s true I might not recall certain facts about all of them, it’s also true that Laurie D. Willis sticks out in my mind. Laurie wrote for The Daily Tar Heel’s business desk for three years and was editor of The Black Ink while at UNC. But what I remember most about Laurie is the way she did whatever had to be done to get the job done. After she graduated in 1986, I and other professors often had Laurie come back to the J-School to speak to students. While it might have embarrassed her a tad, I fondly told students while introducing Laurie that she rode a bicycle to work during a 1985 summer internship at The Wilmington Star-News because she didn't have a car. That’s just Laurie: a go-getter who believes in doing what she must. Laurie has always been earnest about her craft, and I encourage anyone who seeks a serious, highly competent journalist to give her a call."