Dallas coffee shop, Method: Caffeination and Fare, has become a second home to me and immediately came to mind when I was tasked with finding a client for a news writing class’ semester-long project. The young, energetic owner Louie Corwin and his staff of expert baristas were already familiar faces, and I was excited for the opportunity to bring them publicity.
Over the span of this semester, I am volunteering to create a media kit, consisting of items such as a backgrounder, news story and press release for the coffee shop. From the project’s writing and publishing side to the shop’s main focus—the “method” behind coffee making, I am eager for all that I will learn. Already, I have had the chance to interview Corwin and have attended one of Method’s occasional, weekend brewing classes where I learned to brew my own cup of pour over coffee. 
In pursuing this assignment and working to get my writing published in local papers, I am so grateful to SMU for affording me engaging, real world experiences that push me to learn beyond the classroom. Because of SMU, I am not just another statistic or name muttered during roll call but rather a “World Changer.”
By Austin Whittle
