At 50 Years Old, Curtis Vosti Has Filled His Life With Journalism And Politics. But Then He Joined John Marshall Law School In Chicago And Started His Career In Law Field. He Has Also Attended The Missouri School Of Journalism And Received His Master Degree.

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Curtis Vosti: A Student of Another Generation
[By Mahsa Khalilifar]
Whoever coined that old cliché “age is nothing but a number” was pretty accurate. He or she was probably thinking about
someone like Curtis Vosti. Either way, the phrase rings true when one learns about Vosti. At 50 years old, he has led a life
filled with journalism and politics, but he is now following a different path. What’s on his current agenda? Law school...well,
at least for now.
Vosti started out working in journalism, as much of it as possible so you can get an lot more...I’m amazed at the possibilities”
where his passion lay in reporting and idea of the many different areas you can he said.
history. Having graduated from the University practice in.”
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1976 with Vosti has always said that student
his B.A. in History, Vosti decided not to stop Vosti added that his opportunities have associations can prove to be beneficial.
there; he continued his education years later. taught him a lot and that students should He has been in numerous organizations,
In 1983, he attended the Missouri School explore their options. including working for the school’s
of Journalism and received his master’s newspaper, The Decisive Utterance, and
degree. Soon after, he entered the career “You don’t necessarily have to litigate; you other student-run groups.
world of daily journalism. don’t necessarily have to write a complaint;
you don’t necessarily have to be stuck in the Vosti was one of the students who
After 12 years of working in the journalism back office. But you can do those and a whole represented his law school at the ABA’s
field, fate stepped in, and Vosti had to pave a Negotiation Competition in Miami some
new way for himself. A friend of his had taken Q. What do you do for fun? months ago. His team placed second,
to politics and had run for and eventually A. Take walks with any and all of my six and they were invited to compete as the
won the title of Mayor of Hammond, Indiana, grandchildren: Courtney, 11, Kyle, seven, U.S. representatives at the International
a suburb of Chicago. Vosti, who took an Cassie, six, Jacob, six, Hunter, four, and Negotiation Competition in Singapore in July.
interest in politics, had helped his friend with Crystal, four. At the event, the team placed sixth in the
that campaign and a few subsequent ones. Q. What CD is in your CD player right now? world.
Following a loss in the fourth election, though, A. Soul Spectacular: The Classic Hits of
Vosti decided it was time to move on since he Soul, Disc 1, Rhino Records. “You learn more from [student] associations
was now officially out of a job. When Vosti was than you will from what you have to study
younger, many people said he should become Q. What is the last magazine you read? in class. The lessons are more practical
A. Esquire.
a lawyer, so he decided to follow their advice and will impact you longer than the book
and do just that. In January of 2005, Vosti Q. What is your favorite TV show? learning, though not to minimize the
went back to hitting the books—this time, law A. When they are winning, White Sox importance of reading the law,” he explained.
books. He registered at the John Marshall baseball. “You will probably meet a lifelong friend
Law School in Chicago. through the associations outside the
Q. Who is your role model? classrooms, and they are a great source
“Law seemed the inevitable transition,” said A. My dad, mom, Martin Luther King, Jr., of and resource for networking, which is
and Thomas Jefferson. My dad because
Vosti. “I enjoy trying to understand the law’s probably three-quarters of the battle after
he was always fair. My mom because
development through history.” graduation.”
she believed in pursuing dreams. MLK
because he spoke in peals of thunder yet
With his passions for journalism and history, taught nonviolence. And Thomas Jefferson Vosti knows that experience comes with age,
law has been a good transition for Vosti. He because he was a Renaissance man. but he also enjoys learning from his fellow
emphasized that the legal field has a lot of classmates, young or old.
great opportunities for graduates. Q. What is something most people don’t
know about you?
“Being an older student is a blessing,”
A. I’ve played Jeopardy forever, since 1967
“I have been surprised by how broad the field he said. “My classmates are a source of
it seems.
of law is,” Vosti said. “You need to experience much delight, enthusiasm, support, and
PAGE continued on back

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amusement. I am definitely not hip in most As for the next few months, Vosti is focusing ON THE NET
areas, but I hold my own, and that is a source on finishing law school. He is set to graduate
of genuine happiness.” in January 2008. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
www.uiuc.edu
In the future, Vosti plans on working in Vosti encourages people to branch out of
the private sector. Ideally, he said, his the classroom and get various kinds of Missouri School of Journalism
“dream” career would be getting a “decent experience. Although he is older now, Vosti journalism.missouri.edu
buck from [doing] good work in the First indicated that his words of wisdom have yet
Amendment area—speech, religion, and to be discovered. John Marshall Law School
press.” This summer, Vosti is interning with www.jmls.edu
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban “I’m too young to stop learning,” Vosti said.
Development’s fair housing office in Chicago.
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