Michael Ross chats with faculty-support specialist Dave Martinez after an online careers presentation.

A trip to the hospital because of a kidney problem at age 8 introduced Michael Ross ('79) to his persisting interest and career in writing.

He said his kidney operation kept him in the hospital for two to three days under observation. "I was sitting there bored, and the orderly took pity and brought in a little typewriter and paper. Something just kicked in once I saw what was possible with a blank sheet of paper and a typewriter," he said.

Throughout his journalism career, Ross has been a copy editor, a reporter for various newspapers, including The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, the San Jose Mercury News and the Boulder Daily Camera, and an adjunct professor at the Columbia School of Journalism. He is the author of a novel, "Flagpole Days," and "Interesting Times," a collection of essays and works of nonfiction. He now works as a news editor and reporter for MSNBC.com in Seattle.

Ross returned to the School this spring as a Hearst Professional-in-Residence to speak to several journalism classes and engage in discussion with journalism students and faculty. Student style and attitude has pretty much remained the same, he said. "It's really interesting being plugged into this place where I did a lot of growing up."

As a student at SJMC, Ross said he looked up to Professor Sam Archibald because of his intelligence and interaction with the students. "He understood students and gave me respect. He was a mentor," Ross said.

As technology advances, journalists must gain an understanding of the ways that media are delivered to the public, Ross said. Aspiring journalists should "try to cultivate as many different skills as possible and not be overly comfortable in one area," he said. The Internet and television have become two main sources of information for people, he said.

"There are so many things happening, and TV is now having an impact online. There's no wall anymore."

Ross said he has gone through his share of doubt in his career choice. The most difficult thing was "trying to be a journalist after having been laid off from my third job."

"It made me think, 'Is this a job I want to stay in, in light of the fact that the business doesn't want me?' " he said.

"It was a "crossroads kind of moment. I might have gone off into something else. I'm glad I didn't. It's a lot of fun knowing I can wear jeans everyday to work." Michael.Ross@msnbc.com