Our #CoJMCAlumni spotlight this week is Mitch Smith, an Overland Park, Kansas, native. . Mitch, a 2011 journalism grad, is the Chicago bureau reporter at The New York Times. . Mitch said his time at the CoJMC taught him to ask tough questions, write on deadline and find a compelling story in the seemingly mundane. He specifically mentioned the beneficial skills he learned in Professor Joe Starita’s classes. . “The narrative journalism skills I learned in Professor Starita's class continue to inform how I approach my assignments,” he said.