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

After Biola, I did a volunteer service year with Mission Year, which included doing public art & poetry projects. It was my experiences around food, faith, and community during this year that really shaped me, and that led me to intern at Koinonia Farm in Georgia. Living and working at Koinonia ignited a passion for sustainable agriculture, which I've continued to pursue in my current work.

What's your current occupation, and in what ways did getting a degree in English prepare you for your job?

I am the Garden Coordinator for Blackburn Community Outreach in the rural mountain town of Todd, NC. I manage two organic gardens and a community orchard, distribute produce for hunger relief, and teach through college internships and a youth apprenticeship. I also teach in the Methodist church where that organization is based. On the surface, it may not look like my English major prepared me for my job, because I didn't learn anything [in English classes] about plants, soil, or ecology. Looking deeper, however, good ecological design and sustainable land practices are based on observation and interaction, especially of (and with) patterns in nature; Donald Revell calls poetry the "art of attention," and I like to think that poetry has helped me learn what it means to pay attention, and that has gone a long way. Also, being in leadership means knowing how to tell your story well, how to read and think critically, how to listen, and how to communicate clearly. All of these things were nurtured through being an English major.

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

I had the privilege of taking two out-of-the-norm poetry workshops: Vision, Voice and Practice, and a one-on-one practicum (I don't remember what we called it) that forced me to work and practice in ways that stretched me and helped me to grow as a writer.

What about life after college was most surprising to you?

In short: that I ended up far outside the literary world I wanted to be in. When I applied to Biola, I applied as a Biblical Studies/Theology major, but I switched to English when I enrolled. I thought that I would continue on in Creative Writing or English, but after a couple of years being away, I felt called to pursue a master's in theological study, and am still planning to pursue it. Ironic?

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?

I'll answer both at the same time:

(A) Get involved in things that will stretch your social imagination and comfort zone. The things that were formative for me at Biola were being involved in Multi-Ethnic Programs & Development and leading social justice ministries, both for the experience of advocating for causes against the grain, but maybe more importantly in learning how to be a good listener.

(B) Study intersectionally/integratively. I took up a sociology minor, which helped me immensely. Even if your life's work is going to be in a specific literary area, having roots in other disciplines will broaden and deepen your perspective.

What are you reading?

Wendell Berry (currently, Our Only World), Permaculture: Principles and Pathways Beyond Sustainability by David Holmgren, Once in the West by Christian Wiman, Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys by Richard Twiss, and (just finished) How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez.