David Collins: School year won’t be same without veteran reporter
As the school year begins again for thousands in our community I will miss seeing Nan Austin’s byline in our newspaper. Nan is a fantastic journalist. I frequently saw her at school and community events. She had a knack for quickly gathering important facts while getting to the heart of a story or situation. She never shied from a difficult question but rather sought to understand and report the many complex nuances of California’s singular education system. Each article kept me up to date on the goings-on in our local schools and each of her blogs shared something interesting and relevant about education.
In every interaction I had with Nan, I found her to be professional, thoughtful and kind. I will especially miss her clever wit, which she sprinkled throughout her articles. I sincerely hope she’s enjoying the retirement she both wants and deserves.
David Collins, Modesto
Editor’s note: After 31 years at The Bee as an editor and reporter, Nan Austin retired in June.
This story was originally published August 10, 2017 at 12:45 PM with the headline "David Collins: School year won’t be same without veteran reporter."