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By Sara Appel-Lennon
 SAN DIEGO—Joseph Finder, a Jewish author known as the “CEO of Suspense” will be the keynote speaker at a fundraiser for Montgomery High School’s
Media Institute--thanks to his admiration for one of the school's teachers and her students.
Kathleen Obrist, Montgomery High School rhetoric/ writing teacher (pictured at right), started this mentorship program in 2001 with funding from the Department of Education. In the program each junior meets a professional in his/ her chosen career field. The mentor and student meet monthly and email back and forth. Obrist receives copies of all the mentor emails for safety reasons. The mentor relationship lasts one to two years. Obrist said “The relationships that have evolved are just wonderful.” One student received a paid internship for the summer at KGTV and he has since graduated from UCSD.
As part of the program, Obrist is invited to bring six seniors to the annual La Jolla Literary Society Luncheon featuring a visiting author. In November 2005 Finder (pronounced fin-der) was the visiting author at the luncheon held at the La Jolla Country Club. He addressed students of La Jolla, Bishop’s, Torrey Pines, and Montgomery high schools about his career as a fiction writer.
Prior to the event, Montgomery students joined a literature circle to read Finder’s book, Power Play. Obrist met with her students during lunches for book discussions to prepare them for their meeting and an interview with Finder to be held at the La Jolla Literary Society.
Of the four schools, Montgomery was the only one which enrolled a high percentage of students from Mexican-American families. This school is located within three miles of the Mexican border.
In a recent phone interview, Finder said that he was impressed that the students took writing and journalism seriously. He talked about how Obrist impacted her students. Finder said “She encouraged them to look beyond the expectations they were raised with.”
He admitted to the interviewer that he was “kind of put off” when the students asked him how much money he made. He said once he overcame the initial shock, he realized they were saying “I’d love to be a writer. Can I do this?” He confided that when he was in high school he didn’t think he could make a living at writing. He told the students that it took a while, he had to work hard, and now he makes good money.
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 Several months later Finder asked Obrist if she would like him to speak to her students at Montgomery High School and he did. At the school, Finder learned more about the Montgomery Media Institute.
Finder remembered one of his first impressions was that there was “serious fencing” around the school… "It seemed like a tough urban community…. These kids were so ardent, so passionate, so open, and basically optimistic. That’s not what I expected to see inside.” He said that Obrist has “opened the world” to these students.
Recently, Obrist arranged for Finder to be a keynote speaker to help raise money for the Montgomery Media Institute's program matching students with mentors.
Obrist has successfully recruited 30 media professionals in the fields of broadcast, print journalism, computer graphics, multimedia, photography, and public relations.
Some of these organizations include: Union Tribune, San Diego Film Commission, UCSD Health Communications, San Diego Police Department, Mingei International Museum, Cox Communications, and Coronado Lifestyle Magazine.
“Kathleen wants me to help support this thing," Finder told an interviewer. "I think it’s great!”
The event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the San Diego Country Club at 88 "L" Street in Chula Vista. Ticket information may be obtained from Obrist at (619) 889-5009 or via her email okobrist@aol.com.
Education was emphasized in Finder’s family as with most Jewish families. His father, a PhD in English Education, received a Fulbright Grant to organize English-As-A-Second-Language Programs throughout the world. Thus, Finder’s first language was Farsi due to all of his world travels. Like Father, like son, both Finders value education.
Finder did not start as a fiction writer. He pursued Russian studies at Yale University, became Phi Beta Kappa, earned a Master's degree at Harvard Russian Research Center and later taught at Harvard. One of his college mentors recruited him to work in the CIA. Finder then changed careers to write novels instead.
Finder wrote seven novels and one nonfiction expose. Five of his novels appeared on the New York Times Best Seller List. His most recent fiction novel, Vanished, part of a four- book series will be released today. Finder's appearance in Chula Vista will come between stops on a national book tour. In San Diego, he'll be signing books at Warwicks, 7812 Girard Ave, La Jolla at 7:30 p.m.,Wednesday, Sept. 9.
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