Laura Bennett ’05: A Journey of Language, Journalism and Storytelling

For Baldwin alumna Laura Bennett ’05, the seeds of her career in journalism and her lifelong love of language were planted early. A passionate advocate for both the written word and diverse perspectives, Laura’s path to becoming an editor at The Atlantic, and now The New York Times Magazine, is a story that starts in Baldwin’s Spanish classrooms and takes readers across the globe.

Laura’s love affair with Spanish began during her high school years at Baldwin. “I had a wonderful Spanish teacher whose passion for Spanish-language literature was contagious,” she recalls. One pivotal moment in that classroom — reading El ahogado más hermoso del mundo (The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World) by Gabriel García Márquez — left a lasting impression. “I was totally blown away,” Laura says. This moment sparked a deep interest in the Spanish language and its rich literary tradition, a passion that would shape her academic journey and professional life.

 

As a college student at Yale University, Laura pursued Spanish literature with vigor, even writing her senior thesis on García Márquez’s early newspaper journalism — before the world knew him as a celebrated novelist. But it was not just the academic side of Spanish that captivated her. Laura also embraced the opportunity to immerse herself in Spanish-speaking cultures, spending summers abroad working at a museum in Monterrey, Mexico, and later interning at a newspaper and television station in Toledo, Spain.

 

After graduating, Laura’s curiosity about the intersection of language, culture and journalism led her to a Fulbright Fellowship, where she spent a year studying Spanish media. This experience took her to Pamplona, home to one of Spain’s premier journalism schools, as well as Madrid, where she delved into the impact of citizen journalism on Spain’s media landscape.

Laura’s research focused on how the mainstream Spanish press — which had, for so much of its history, been controlled by Franco’s regime — was adapting to democratize and embrace citizen journalism. “I interviewed editors and media executives from all around the country and learned how hard they were working to democratize the press and incorporate perspectives from the Spanish public,” she recalls. For Laura, the experience was transformative. It wasn’t just about understanding the technicalities of journalism; it was about witnessing firsthand how the media was evolving in a country with a complex political history.

 

While her work in Spain deepened her understanding of the media, it also taught her invaluable lessons about storytelling. “The most practical lesson I learned was how to interview people, how to ask thoughtful, pointed questions and get sources to open up and feel comfortable,” Laura reflects. Doing this in a foreign language was a challenge, but it also strengthened her abilities as a journalist. Her time in Spain wasn’t limited to research; she also had the chance to freelance for The Boston Globe. One assignment took her to Barcelona, where she shadowed dancers from the Boston Ballet on tour. For a young journalist, it was an exciting experience that provided firsthand exposure to the world of arts reporting.

 

Looking back, Laura sees Baldwin as the foundation that set her on her current path. “Studying Spanish at Baldwin really did change my life,” she says. The school not only sparked her interest in literature but also helped her discover a passion for journalism. She believes Baldwin’s academic environment gave her the tools to explore her interests and, ultimately, to forge a career in a competitive field.

 

Today, Laura’s work as an editor allows her to shape storytelling at the highest levels, crafting narratives that resonate with readers worldwide. Yet, despite her impressive achievements, she remains grateful for the friendships she formed at Baldwin, friendships that have endured since graduation. “My Baldwin classmates are still some of my best friends in the world,” she notes with warmth.

 

While Laura admits that she hasn’t spoken Spanish with native speakers in years, her fluency in the language has undoubtedly been a career asset. Being bilingual has given her the ability to connect with a broader range of sources and to approach stories from diverse angles, especially in a media landscape that increasingly values global perspectives.

 

For Laura, the journey from Baldwin to becoming a magazine editor has been a fulfilling one, driven by a passion for language, an inquisitive spirit and a commitment to storytelling. Whether she’s editing a story or writing one of her own, Laura is guided by the same curiosity and dedication to understanding the world — a trait she first discovered in Baldwin’s classrooms.