In a few sentences, describe your post-Biola work/life journey.

Two weeks after graduation I started working at Biola in the IT department. The job had opened up right before graduation, and, being undecided about my future, I took it. I planned to only work for a year to save money and figure out what I wanted to do with my life. God had other plans for me. In that year I found that I loved working in IT, and I started dating, then got engaged to my wife. Since then I’ve changed roles at Biola several times, but I’m still in the IT department.

What’s your specific role within Biola’s IT department, and in what ways did getting a degree in English prepare you for the job?

My current role is IT Systems Administrator, which deals with the mostly behind-the-scenes servers and systems that help Biola run. An English degree has helped me throughout my time at Biola by giving me the skills to read and learn quickly, organize and present information effectively, and process data critically. Working in IT means there are a lot of technical things to learn, but communicating, planning, and thinking critically are just as important as any task-specific knowledge or computer language.

What was a favorite class or experience you had while a Biola English major?

This is a tough question, as there were so many great classes! My favorite were the two critical theory courses I took during my senior year. Carefully reading the text, being challenged by the content, and discussing it with the class was very rewarding. I also got involved with the campus club The Guild of English Scholars, which was a great experience to have fun with other English majors, meet new people, and generally be nerdy about the great books we were reading.

What about life after college was most surprising to you?

I don’t think I have one big thing that was surprising, but the combination of all the little changes, problems, joys, and sorrows add up to something I couldn’t have imagined while still in college. Moving through life, making new relationships, and experiencing and figuring out each new situation while drawing on your past will be a constant surprise. My experience at Biola and in the English department has helped me by instilling an ethic to keep learning, growing, and relying on God’s grace.

What advice would you give to a current Biolan majoring in English? Or what’s something you did in college that later helped you professionally?

Look for opportunities that interest you but will also challenge you. Joining a club or a program in a leadership role will give you great experience working with others that will apply to your future work. Study abroad for a semester, or take an internship in a field that may not seem to directly apply to you (since I don’t know if any internships in Early Modern Literature exist anyway). Your classes give you great tools, but you also need experience using them in other ways outside of class to really see their benefit.

What are you reading?

I usually end up shuffling between a few books to keep a mix of genres. I’m currently in the middle of Eco’s The Island of the Day Before, a sci-fi trilogy called Binti, and a book about Biblical inspiration called Inspired by Rachel Held Evans. I also just finished the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy, which was very enjoyable.