Shannon Kelly, former editor-in-chief for The Graphic

When the Malibu Fire threatened Pepperdine, Jane didn’t skip a beat -- even as she was forced to relocate to the cafeteria where the Internet was down and she didn’t have a computer or any other means to report the story.  She proactively began interviewing students and encouraging anyone with a camera to send photos to editors stationed safely off campus who could upload media to The Graphic’s Web site.  She acted as a liaison for the Graphic and the mainstream press by professionally accepting interviews and providing outside reporters with information the university was refusing to give the press.   Jane probably slept less than five hours in a three day period, during which she successfully and impressively covered the most threatening wildfire Pepperdine and Malibu had seen in close to 10 years.  She was one of about four staff members who worked nonstop to print the “Malibu Wildfire Special Issue,” which was distributed the day all of the other students were allowed back on campus.  Jane’s capability and endurance during this time were incredibly admirable, to say the least.  And with soot-stained smoky clothes and tired eyes, she was still her accurate, creative and energetic self. 

Timothy McQuay, senior assignment editor / sports for USA TODAY

Jane worked at USA TODAY in the Sports department in the summer of 2007 as an intern and established herself as one of the best college journalists to cross our doorstep. In 15 years of seeing the work of interns, I rate Jane at the top rung in skills and attitude.

Jane worked for six different assignment editors while at USA TODAY and worked on content involving golf, tennis, college football, the NFL and Major League Baseball. Two comments by editors were universally shared: "An impressive self-starter" and "Approached all of her assignments with enthusiasm and with great instincts."

Her work ranged from the grind-it-out imputing of statistical data into lengthy golf charts to interviews with tennis greats like Billie Jean King and Pete Sampras. One editor's assessment at the time: "Jane has shown she can work on multiple assignments at once. She is very organized, has strong journalism skills and communicated well. I was struck by her very nice writing touch."

D. Tom Patterson, owner of Checkmark Publishing in California and Colorado

I gave her major stories, including those on local military athletes and the telling stories of their families; America's Most-Hated Athletes, all of these stories planned as major Sunday stories. Some staff members were jealous of the "Rookie from Modesto", but she quickly stole the show and gained respect. Only once did you have to tell her something about writing, because she was like a big vacuum wanting to learn. And that she did.

She's got more persistence than anyone I've been around. She won't take no for an answer. While home from college for Thanksgiving, I asked Jane if she would chase a story for me on Leonard Armato, one of the hardest-to-get interviews in the sports field -- especially for someone from a small Stockton, Calif., publication where Armato attended college. It took almost two months, but Jane never gave up. I never thought she would land the interview, but she did and turned it into another fine writing piece.

As newspapers face new challenges, as great editors are replaced by businessmen, Jane Lee will someday be one of those people who make the circle complete when newspapers are again based on great reporting, and great stories.

Greg Barnett, former sports editor for The Graphic

Jane absolutely deserves to be included in the top 100 college journalists. I'm confident not many college journalists around the country have accomplished being sports editor (for a year), news editor and editor in chief before being a senior at their respective papers. Jane's first love is sports when it comes to being an editor, but took the news editor position because her experience was needed at the position and she did a fantastic job. This last semester, her leadership as editor in chief helped me considerably as sports editor. I consider her a friend and she was always there to guide me in the right direction when designing pages and editing copy. Finally, she was always willing to write stories for the sports section when she was editor in chief. Despite a full course schedule and running the paper, her stories are always amazing and it's a testament to her hard work and talent.

OAKLAND -- "I was just bragging about you."

Mike Sweeney pulls Daric Barton into a fun-loving, half-hearted headlock as the highly regarded veteran says these words to the rookie, who is busy signing an autograph on a worn A's cap for a fan before a recent home game.

Tom Asbury sits in his office as a cool Malibu breeze tickles the leaves on a tree outside the walls of Firestone Fieldhouse.

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world. The average life span of the population barely exceeds 50 years. The death rate stands at an unimaginable number, as does the number representing those suffering from AIDS. Yet for 2007 Pepperdine graduate Dustin Long, this Eastern Africa country is what he calls his “home away from home.”