You could practically hear your professor yelling at you for being late before you walked through the door. This was only the second time you had been late to your 8 am class once in your entire senior year at UCLA, but damn if she was gonna treat it like it was no big deal.
You tried to slip inside and to the back row quietly as she was turned around talking. Obviously, you failed.
"Nice of you to join us Ms. (y/n)." Her voice called to you seriously, "if you'll speak with me after class I'll be happy to assign you your final paper that I explained about forty five minutes ago." She gave you a mischievous smile and turned back to her board.
You sunk down in your seat and rolled your eyes as her lecture droned on for another hour and fifteen minutes. The second she dismissed the entire class you knew you were in for it.
"You wanted to assign me something?"
"Yes." She muttered slowly to you and went over to her desk.
She handed you a paper with small print that read "FINAL" at the top.
"This is our final?" You furrowed your brows. "It's only February..."
"Thank you for making me aware," she replied sassily and began to erase the board. "But this paper won't be due until May 14th; the day of your final."
"That's a long time for a paper." You huffed and looked at the paper again.
"If you would please read, Ms. (y/n), you'll see that this is not just a paper. It's an interview. A very long interview." She pointed to the paper in your hand.
You tilted your head and read the first few lines. "Choose a person who is accomplished in their field and get to know them. Whether it be athletics, fine arts, entrepreneurship, or something else. They must have a career. No staff at UCLA are permitted to participate."
"So does this mean I have to stalk a famous person and get to know them?" You asked her.
She smiled sarcastically, "very funny, but no. Some students are planning to reach out to famous people, but I would look for a more sophisticated route. If I'm honest, I think you have the writing capability to make this piece your own, Ms. (y/n)."
"Well, thanks," you smiled, "but I guess I'm not sure I understand. Don't do someone famous... Do someone accomplished?"
"Precisely." She nodded, "what are you interested in?"
"Journalism," you shrugged your shoulders. "Authors... CEO's..."
"I think you should start with someone who is in the business." She steered me, "an author would take over this assignment because they are a writer as well as you are."
"So who should I pick? Someone in the business field who isn't famous per se, but accomplished..." You thought for a moment and sighed, "anything else?"
"You do realize this isn't just a sit down interview, right?" She asked you with a serious look on her face. "This is your life, Ms. (y/n), you take this class two days a week and for those two days a week you must spend time with this person and their family until you feel like you have substantial information and I tell you to come to class instead."
"So it's like a biography on their success and their personal life? That's quite a big project... How long?" You asked her.
"Welcome to your final semester, Ms. (y/n)." She raised her eyebrows at you and sighed, "you'll spend two days or more a week with them for eight weeks."
"At their house?" You asked incredulously.
"If they'll allow it." She replied.
"With their family?" You questioned her.
