This is a sponsored interview in partnership with Tecovas.
In Professor Kathleen McElroy’s role at the University of Texas at Austin, where she is the Frank A. Bennack Jr. Chair in Journalism and co-director of the Center for Ethical Leadership in Media, she is focused on making her journalism students people dedicated to always learning. We caught up with the professor to talk about her work.
So, Kathleen, who are you?
“I am a 65-year-old Black woman. I could lose a few pounds, but you know, I'm just happy to be dry, above ground, fed. I got a lot to be thankful for. (Tennis star?) Not a tennis star. In fact, I am so terrible at it. My tennis team is called ‘The Altheas,’ and I was one of the co-founders of it. It's just full of all these amazing women who've created a kind of social life for me. Althea is for Althea Gibson.”
What drew you to journalism?
“My dad was a journalist, so I've always known about journalism, even though I'm such an advocate for people who didn't grow up in the atmosphere or the background that I have. I knew from fourth grade that I wanted to be a sports journalist, and that kind of happened.
After being in the business for so long, I decided I needed to be back in Texas. I was living in New York City in a very expensive studio apartment — but I had a doorman — going home and watching ‘Dance Moms.’ Now, that's kind of sad and pathetic. When you're no longer going to theater and, and things like that, then why are you living in the West Village? So I decided to move back to Texas because all my family's here, and I decided to get a PhD.”
Why does your work matter to Austin?
“I think it matters to the state in that we're trying to produce an atmosphere in which students become committed citizens. Citizens who are willing to learn new things. So, I don't have to teach them a specific X, Y, and Z, but I can teach them that they can always be lifelong learners.”
