Stuart Rosenstein

Student

“There are 26,000 stories at SMC. And when my writers get stuck, I tell them, ‘Just walk outside. A story will find you.’”

He’s the editor of the Corsair and has already put his skills and contacts to use internationally. “I was in Israel for a visit and, because of my experience in editing, I helped the Israeli AIDS Task Force put out their first international newsletter,” reports Stuart Rosenstein. “It felt great to offer my skills as a volunteer in a foreign country.” Stuart feels that, through the Corsair, he’s taken some large steps towards being a globetrotting freelance journalist. But he also says he felt that he was definitely in a ‘foreign country’ when he first got to SMC.

“I was terrified—after years of working in sales—because I didn’t think I had what it took to study and compete. I took a literature class, and it just tore my head off,” he says with a grim laugh. “I’m a communicator and I can talk, but the whole world of writing was new to me. I didn’t have a clue about how to deliver my message in print.” But then Stuart met Barbara Baird, adviser to the Corsair, and the ‘presses started to roll’ for him.

“Ms. Baird was one of the first women in the news department of the LA Times, and she brings all that experience to us. She’s really been a motivator for me, pushing and guiding me along to the point where I really believe there’s a home for me in journalism.” And Stuart adds that he’s found another home among the people of SMC.

“Coming here was a humbling experience because I arrived with a lot of ego,” he admits. “It took a while for me to see how I fit in among all of the talented people learning here. But now I feel comfortable about my part in the midst of thousands of people, all working to make the world a better place.”

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