Some people are born to be journalists. Sheila Lalwani (B.A.J. '02) was playing with newspapers, she says, before she was old enough to read them. "When my sisters were out climbing trees, my fingers were black from newspaper ink."

Lalwani, a staff writer for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, visited the School of Journalism Monday to talk to classes about her experiences in journalism.

Her advice, though coming from a recent IU grad, sounds like that of a veteran reporter, and in some ways, it really is. Lalwani has had internships at the Seattle Times and the Associated Press, she's worked in print and TV, and she's received fellowships to travel, write and study. She speaks German and Hindi fluently, and she's learning Arabic.

"She seems very passionate about her work," says Haley Beck, a senior in journalism and the Business/Health & Science editor at the Indiana Daily Student.

Passion is certainly one word that would describe Lalwani. Other words might be driven, motivated, even stubborn.

"Sheila wants to make a difference," said professor Owen Johnson, who helped arrange Lalwani's visit, in an e-mail. "She does this not only by developing expertise in less-developed areas, but she is able to persuade her editors that her stories are ones that a wide range of people should read."

During her talk to professor Carol Polsgrove's J501 Public Affairs Reporting class, Lalwani recalled pushing her editor to run a story she had written on Diwali, an important festival for Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. Though the story was local, she framed it in a national context by connecting it with a bill currently before the House of Representatives that would recognize the importance of Diwali for the Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities in the United States.

"The editor hems and haws and says, 'Well, I'm not sure we'll be able to get it into the paper.'" Lalwani kept pushing for the story, and eventually she was told she'd get 15 inches in the Metro section.

"Then the national AP wire calls, they want the story," said Lalwani. "All of a sudden I got twice the amount of space, I had two pictures on the cover, and everyone rode off into the sunset very, very happy."

This experience, said Lalwani, demonstrates the importance of taking risks and pushing hard for your stories. "Sometimes in journalism you have to stand alone."

Lalwani also urged journalism students to acquire the skills and background knowledge to give meaning to events and help readers understand the context of the news.

"People are flooded with so many different messages," she said. "If you give them something that's different, not only will they be grateful for it, but they're going to remember you for it."

Read about Lalwani's experiences as a Hazeltine Scholar.