Don Gonyea, National Public Radio's White House correspondent, is currently visiting journalism classes and speaking to students until Saturday.

He is an honors graduate from MSU and a Monroe native. He earned his bachelor's degrees in advertising and telecommunication in 1978 and 1980, respectively, and has taken a wide variety of courses.

"It was good training for the job I have today, which requires knowledge and interest in an extremely wide range of topics," Gonyea said.

Steve Lacy, director of the School of Journalism, said he invited Gonyea to speak to students because he brings a great deal of knowledge to the classroom.

"He has firsthand knowledge about national political reporting and works for one of the best news organizations covering the most powerful political office in the world," Lacy said. "Equally important is that he covers his beat with fairness and balance. He is a model for all young journalists."

Benita Mehta