Michelle Kaufman can predict the very best college students in her class from the primary day.
On the primary day of courses, she walks in confidently to her small classroom in Allen Corridor. She plops down on her desk a big pile of media credentials — relationship from the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France to varied nations such because the South African or Brazilian World Cup, Wimbledon, and each notable sporting occasion possible — as proof of why she’s certified to show the category.
After 20 years of educating Sports activities Reporting at her alma mater, she has grown to acknowledge greatness in her college students immediately.
Each scholar within the 15-person class arrives desirous to study. Typically it’s troublesome to pique the curiosity of busy and drained school college students, however these college students present up fortunately to take heed to Kaufman.
Whereas the College of Miami guarantees hands-on expertise to all of its college students, no class delivers it like Kaufman’s. She considers her class extra of an internship, and herself as greater than only a professor.
“I’m a mentor greater than a professor, and my objective is that on the finish of the semester, the scholars can have a really, very clear image of what it’s to work in sports activities media,” Kaufman mentioned. “They’ll know both I really like this and I would like extra of this, and I can image myself doing this, or this isn’t the identical as being a sports activities fan.”
She brings to the classroom 37 years of expertise as a sportswriter, having coated 14 Olympics, six World Cups, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, NCAA basketball tournaments, NBA playoffs and Tremendous Bowls. She has served because the Miami Herald’s soccer author and College of Miami basketball beat author for 25 years..
Her college students see her data in each phrases she speaks. David Villavicencio, account supervisor at Chemistry Cultura who took her class in 2009, mentioned her expertise speaks for itself.
“I imply Michelle is so spectacular with the proof of her success and expertise and data jumps out at you simply the best way that she carries herself and all the things that she’s skilled and finished,” Villavicencio mentioned.
From sitting within the press convention room with Coco Gauff on the Miami Open to watching the NFL Draft from the Dolphins headquarters, even shaking fingers with gifted alumni who as soon as sat in her class, real-life expertise and networking turn into actual on this classroom.
When starting this class, many challenges stood in her means. When she started educating, Kaufman was juggling a full-time profession and elevating a 5-year-old daughter.
“I assumed she was slightly loopy at first as a result of she was already so busy,” mentioned her husband, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dave Barry. “That may be including one other time-consuming factor onto her plate.”
However what appeared to concern her probably the most was giving her college students the very best expertise.
“She was nervous if the scholars would love her, what would they assume and I believe that’s what makes her a great instructor is that she does genuinely care in regards to the college students,” Barry mentioned.
And whereas she didn’t want to show, she selected to, out of nothing greater than a real ardour for mentoring college students.
“She desires to create all these relationships with all these folks and study as a lot about them as doable and assist them by way of the remainder of their lives, mentioned her daughter, Sophie Barry. “On the finish of the 12 months, she invitations all people over to our home and does individualized awards for every particular particular person based mostly on all the things she’s realized about them and all the things she is aware of about them.”
She started calling as many connections in Miami as she might discover and thru these connections a category was born, one that might manifest a few of UM’s most profitable alumni within the sports activities world. By way of 20 years of caring for college kids, many have gone on to have lengthy and notable careers in communications, journalism, and sports activities. Typically they attribute their success to the actual world classes and connections they made by way of her class.
Her journey started and nonetheless stays in Miami. A Hurricane herself, Kaufman was actively concerned in sports activities writing, relationship again to her time at UM as a contributor for The Miami Hurricane, the scholar newspaper. Many years later, her college students sit in press bins, anchor desks, and enhancing bays throughout the nation carrying with them the teachings she taught and the usual she set.
A kind of college students is David Furones, Miami Dolphins beat author for the South Florida Solar Sentinel. He credit Kaufman with giving him his begin in 2011.
“She instructed me ‘David, I truly assume you’re one of many higher writers on this class, and I might like to set you up with Andre Fernandez simply to cowl some highschool soccer video games for the next fall,’ ” Furones mentioned. “That basically bought me began.”
Her college students witnessed compelling and unforgettable moments in sports activities historical past, moments they’d carry with them eternally.
Furones remembers overlaying a recreation that includes the Miami Warmth’s “Large Three” and attending a put up recreation press convention with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.
“It clearly left an enormous impression on me as a university child,” he mentioned. “That was simply an project for sophistication.”
Kaufman remembers that night time vividly.
“I believe LeBron James scored his career-high 61 factors, and on the night time that my class was there, Kaufman mentioned. “That was very superb, as a result of he got here into the press convention. So he usually most likely wouldn’t have spoken on the press convention, however he scored 61 factors.”
She recalled different main moments college students have expertise: interviewing Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams, or watching Lionel Messi rating a objective dwell.
In a digital age of consuming information, Professor Kaufman might’ve chosen to evolve her class to solely educating digital information, but she holds on tight to her values from what she calls “the golden age” of journalism. By way of 38 years of working in print journalism, she has watched the trade change earlier than her eyes, and whereas she nonetheless supplies fashionable instruments for her college students, nothing holds extra significance than her core values.
“I generally assume, is what I’m educating changing into out of date? Is what I’m educating changing into outdated? Do I want to show extra about social media? Do I want to show Tik Tok or one thing like that?” Kaufman mentioned. “After which I believe, no, there are individuals who can educate that, or who wish to educate that. I nonetheless give attention to the muse of journalism, which is being correct, being truthful, being truthful, having the ability to sift truth from fiction, having the ability to domesticate sources, having the ability to acquire folks’s belief, studying easy methods to write report and report accurately, the etiquette of all of it. All of these classes, I believe, are nonetheless extraordinarily worthwhile.”
Her college students carry her classes and requirements of journalisms into their present careers, reminiscent of NBC6 Reporter Briana Nespral who took the category in 2017.
“Whether or not I’m chasing a breaking story or or navigating into powerful interviews, I form of nonetheless hear her voice at the back of my thoughts pushing me to be sharper, truthful, extra centered and never simply give attention to the on a regular basis questions,” Nespral mentioned. “She would at all times discuss in regards to the golden nuggets. I nonetheless attempt to embrace these golden nuggets in each story that I can.”
These golden nuggets are the actual a part of a narrative that requires additional focus, and can be utilized to take a mean story into an distinctive one.
Graduate scholar Dara Karadsheh took the category this spring semester, and recalled the sensible expertise she realized within the classroom that she believes will nicely put together her for her future profession.
“One of many greatest issues I realized from her class is easy methods to handle your stress once you’re writing on a strict deadline,” Karadsheh mentioned. “That was one thing I’ve by no means had that a lot expertise with.”
As Michelle Kaufman leaves behind a two-decade journey at Miami. She leaves behind greater than a syllabi and lecture notes. She leaves a legacy constructed on integrity, curiosity, and excellence. And after twenty years, she exhibits no indicators of slowing down.
Her classroom stays an area for progress, friendship, and a launchpad for the way forward for sports activities journalism—one story at a time.