Lilla Ross

I've been working with words as a writer for more than 30 years. I write articles for newspapers and magazines and copy for newsletters, websites and books.

I'm also an editor, well-versed in AP style, unfazed by deadlines and experienced at supervising AI.

Whatever your project, I can help you tell your story.​​ Let me know how I can help.

SmartBrief •

A very special dreamer honored by Bezos - SmartBrief

Kara Ball always knew she wanted to be a teacher. She even practiced with pretend classes attended by her family.
It was an above-average ambition for the girl who was diagnosed with dyslexia in third grade, dyscalculia in sixth grade and dismissed by a teacher in 10th grade as “stupid.” 
“School was always a challenge. I had to work twice as hard. I had a lot of anxiety,” Ball says. “I don’t think I understood it. Dad understood it. He was dyslexic, too.” 
She credits her supportive family with...
SmartBrief •

Paris Hilton's animated perspective on ADHD - SmartBrief

Since her diagnosis with ADHD as an adult, Paris Hilton has been using her celebrity to
draw attention to neurodiversity. Hilton describes ADHD as her “superpower” because it allows her to see things in ways others can’t.
She recently launched a new animated children’s series, “Paris & Pups,” featuring a 12-
year-old version of Hilton, her five pups and their adventures living at the Fabulexe
Hotel. Paris and one of her dogs, Slivington, have ADHD, which creates opportunities to
demonstrate how...
SmartBrief •

New medical schools open to train the next generation of doctors - SmartBrief

As colleges and universities around the country cut back, merge and even close, one sector is growing — osteopathic medical schools.
The increasing acceptance of osteopathic medicine’s holistic patient-centered approach is attracting more students to the profession.
“It’s a steady and progressive growth. We have about 40,000 students. That’s an increase of 10,000 students since 2019,” says Robert A. Cain, DO, president of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.
Many of the...
SmartBrief •

Universities move to the heart of the city - SmartBrief

All around the country, universities are moving downtown. Some are expanding existing campuses, but many others are launching new ones. It’s happening in New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Georgia and Pennsylvania. They are representative of a national trend to better position students for job opportunities and universities for industry and community engagement.
Florida is leading the trend:
And next year, the University of Florida in Gainesville plans to launch a new graduate campus 75 miles north in Jac...
SmartBrief •

A new way to see through the eyes of children with disabilities - SmartBrief

A new, free digital platform, Through My Eyes, is available to teachers and parents who want to gain better insight into what it’s like to grow up with a learning disability. Developed by Understood.org, a nonprofit that supports people of all ages who think and learn differently, the platform includes personal stories, real-life simulations and tools from special education teachers and psychologists.
Juliana Urtubey, NBCT, MA, a Spanish language special education teacher, is one of the experts...
SmartBrief •

Making hands-on learning pay off - SmartBrief

The University of North Florida has a new requirement for incoming students: to have some form of experiential, hands-on learning before graduation, including an internship, research project or leadership opportunity.“We want to produce a career-ready workforce,” said Scott Curry, senior director, industry engagement. “It’s part of our strategy to grow from 17,000 to 25,000 students by the end of the decade.
To help make that happen, UNF has created Soaring Together, a play on the university’s m...
SmartBrief •

Going wide: Decentralized college of nursing helps fill state shortage

Montana’s 1.1 million people sometimes drive an hour or two to get medical care. The cities have hospitals, but 46 of the 56 counties are designated as “frontier.” A nurse practitioner is often the only health care provider in those sparsely populated areas.
Montana State University graduates about 300 registered nurses, 15 to 20 family nurse practitioners and 10 to 12 psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners annually. But it’s not enough. 
That is about to change. 
A Texas couple, Mark and...
SmartBrief •

Career Technical partnerships open career doors

When Tim Mosley graduated from high school 40 years ago, he says he wouldn’t have believed someone who told him he’d be the manager of field personnel for a global construction company.
It was not an accident. For more than 50 years, Haskell, an architecture, engineering and construction company in Jacksonville, Fla., has partnered with the Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA) and high schools in the region to recruit young people for its apprenticeships. 
Clay County, south of Jackson...
SmartBrief •

Catholic high schools embrace CTE education

The nation’s 1,100-plus Catholic high schools have typically focused on preparing for
college. But that’s beginning to change. Catholic schools are now exploring career and technical education to prepare students for the workforce.
Mercy Catholic Career & Technical High School in Philadelphia is the only Catholic CTE in
the country. The Sisters of Mercy school is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
It’s the role model for St. Peter’s Catholic Career & Technical High School in Houston,
which is in...