Not Your Average Senior
Austin in the ’70s was buzzing with history in the making: Vietnam War protests, the newly minted 18-year-old vote and political upheaval. Journalism felt electric with purpose. All this as a young Bill Mintz walked into Journalism 322 at the University of Texas—taught by the legendary Griff Singer—and found himself swept up in the fast-paced, boots-on-the-ground world of The Daily Texan.
“It was immersive—four days a week, six weeks straight,” Mintz recalled. “I was hooked.”
For student journalists like Mintz, The Daily Texan offered a front-row seat to it all.
“There was no shortage of stories,” Mintz said. “And expectations were high.”
That pressure-cooker of a newsroom gave Mintz the foundation for what would become a long and successful career in journalism, writing for major outlets like The Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News, with stints in both Texas and Washington, D.C. But despite the bylines and accolades, one thing lingered in the back of his mind for decades: he never officially earned his degree.
“Not finishing my degree was a regret,” he admitted. “It didn’t hold me back professionally, but it always stayed with me—it was personal.”
