Collegiate Alum Shares Writing Expertise with Upper Schoolers

During his visit with students today, he recommended that they consider writing an important part of their everyday experiences.

“People fail to realize how important writing is, and [how often] it is used” beyond the physical aspect of writing itself, such as how one crafts messages in an interview, or the dating process or in an introduction, Mr. Beck told students in Upper School English teacher Josh Katz’s class. “Knowing how to express yourself through writing, and knowing how to do it fast is important.”

Mr. Beck decided he wanted to be a writer while he was a student at Collegiate, and because he loved science, he chose that as his area of expertise.

He went on to study neuroscience at Princeton University, science writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and journalism at New York University.

After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2012, Mr. Beck said his personal experiences began to influence his work.

“I write a lot about neuroscience because that’s what I want to study, but I also write about mental health because of personal reasons and for advocacy,” he said.

Mr. Beck, who spent time in Japan teaching English and studying neuroscience, also explained the journalistic writing process and how he finds story ideas.

He visited with students in three classes today and will return tomorrow to share more tips and advice, and he left Mr. Katz’s students with some wisdom he said he didn’t gain until after leaving Collegiate:

“English class is the most under-appreciated class.”