News Pipers Tell Their Stories

Fall 2025 Hamline Magazine

Rochelle Olson '88 standing in front of Minnesota Star Tribune banner

Written by Staff
Photos by CT Ryan Photography

A classic narrative structure called the monomyth, or hero’s journey, sets a story’s central characters off on an adventure in which they face trials, gain knowledge, and return to their worlds transformed. Hamline grads might recognize these heroes from classic literature and film — think Odysseus, Beowulf, Frodo Baggins, Luke Skywalker — or from their own reflections in the mirror.

In this issue, three Pipers who understand the power of a good story reflect on their own transformations from Hamline undergrads to working journalists.

Rochelle Olson '88

Opinion Columnist, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Rochelle Olson recalls that when “it” happened, her Hamline University French professor, Tamara Root, PhD, was kind, but blunt. “She said my work was okay, but I could do better. She challenged me, told me to try harder, told me I was capable, and gave me confidence. No one had ever done that before.”

Olson’s time at Hamline was an essential stop in her journey from Kennedy High School in Bloomington, Minn., to the University of Kansas, where she earned a master’s degree in journalism in 1992.

After graduation, Olson landed a job as a reporter with the Associated Press in Kansas City. She stayed with the wire service through the 1990s, moving to Topeka, Kansas; Charleston, West Virginia; and eventually back home to the Twin Cities.

I could show you exactly the classroom and where I was sitting when it happened.

In 2000, Olson’s journey continued when she left the AP to join what is now the Minnesota Star Tribune as its Minneapolis City Hall reporter. She stayed on that beat until 2022, when she started covering state government. Earlier this year, she accepted a transformational new assignment as the Star Tribune’s opinion columnist for state politics.

“After living a reporter’s commitment to objectivity for 30-plus years — of being quite careful of the things I said publicly and privately — it’s a little weird to suddenly be permitted to have opinions and express them in public,” she mused. “It’s also a lot more fun.”

The distance from Hamline to the Minnesota Capitol can be traveled in less than 10 minutes, but there’s no way to get there without curiosity, confidence and an open mind.

“I don’t know if I could have navigated a school larger than Hamline when I first started,” Olson said. “It was so accessible and enabled me to sample so many different subjects. I’m so glad to have a liberal arts education.”

Jeff Rueter '16

Senior Writer, The Athletic

In monomyth narratives, the hero may encounter a guide — like Gandalf or Obi-Wan — who assists with the journey and transformation. For Jeff Rueter, a St. Cloud, Minn., native who studied theatre arts at Hamline, one such guide appeared in the unlikely form of a stranger he met at a soccer match the summer before graduation.

“I was just being a fan and the guy next to me in the stands overheard me talking with my brother. He asked if I’d be a temporary host on his soccer podcast. It all took off from there.”

It was a serendipitous turn of events for Rueter, who ran with the ball that was passed to him that day. Until then, he hadn’t been sure what he would do with his liberal arts degree, but he was confident Hamline had prepared him to take on anything.

The podcast gig led to an opportunity in early 2018 for Rueter to contribute a story to The Athletic, an online sports magazine founded as an independent media outlet in 2016 and acquired by The New York Times in 2022. Rueter later joined The Athletic as a staff writer and was promoted to senior writer in December 2024. He continues to cover soccer, currently with a focus on stories of national interest.

“Growing up, I was a card-collecting sports fan who obsessed over stats and narratives alike, so this is a dream job,” he said. “The broad knowledge I gained at Hamline translates to my work because I need to find unique angles and a worldly perspective on soccer news to stand out in a competitive field.”

It’s not lost on Rueter that many guides supported his transformation from undergrad to sports journalist. He said, “Professors like Jeff Turner, Mike Reynolds, David Davies, Jermaine Singleton, and Mark Berkson challenged me to not just understand the curriculum, but approach everything I do with curiosity and intentionality.”

Anika Besst '23

Digital Producer, MPR News

Coon Rapids, Minn., native Anika Besst had her eye on an English degree when she became a Piper. “I wanted to be a teacher,” she recalled.

But once she arrived on campus, a fortuitous and quite wonderful sequence of events turned Besst’s plans in an entirely new direction.

She discovered the student newspaper, The Oracle, and everything changed.

“I fell in love with it,” Besst said. “I started taking journalism courses too, and the experience, both in class and in practice, confirmed the news media was where I wanted to be.”

Besst’s Hamline adventure included a group trip to Thailand led by Suda Ishida, PhD, professor of Communication Studies, during which Besst reported on a conflict between the Thai government’s effort to establish a national park in Ob Khan National Forest and the indigenous Karen people’s fight to preserve its livelihood and culture. Besst’s article was picked up by The Christian Science Monitor. “I still hear from people about it,” she said.

After graduating with majors in journalism and theatre arts, and a minor in English, Besst’s direction was clear. Her next stop turned out to be not far from Hamline. Today, she reports on higher education and the arts for the news division of Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) in downtown Saint Paul.

Anika Besst '23, speaking into a microphone at her job as a Digital Producer at MPR News — Anika Besst '23 assembles a story in the MPR editing room

“I’m incredibly happy about where I am. MPR was my news source growing up,” Besst said. “I strive to create the best story and connection to community that I can.”

Besst credits her Hamline education for showing her the way and providing fellowship for the journey.

“You learn from every experience and come out better than when you went in,” she said. “A major part of my support network came from other Hamline students in journalism, English, and theater. I still connect with those friends today.”