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

After graduating, I worked for a year as a case manager for pregnant and parenting teenagers in LA County (I also minored in Social Work). After this, I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to attend Saint Mary's for my MFA in Creative Writing. I luckily found a practical and lucrative application of these skills in the form of copywriting, which is what I've been doing for the past five years.

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

I'm a copywriter at Workday, an enterprise software company based in the Bay Area. I write everything from marketing emails to web content and video scripts. Everything about being an English major prepared me for copywriting—it's really a mix of understanding your audience, crafting a narrative, and knowing where to stick those commas. You'd be surprised at how many different jobs there are out there for people who can communicate ideas well.

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

The late Dr. David Smith taught a Critical Theory class that is still one of my most cherished educational experiences. The reading was challenging and mind-expanding, but it was the lively class discussions that stuck with me. Even though it was senior year for many of us, everyone was vigorously engaged with the difficult texts. Dr. Smith pushed us further than any of us would have gone on our own, and we reaped tremendous benefits.

What about life after college was most surprising to you?

In the busyness of the last semester, I didn't realize that saying goodbye to people would be so permanent. This was especially the case for me since I moved out of the area just a year after graduation. It was impossible to keep up with more than a handful of former classmates and professors.

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?

While you don't need to set out to climb some corporate or academic ladder, it's pretty important to have a practical plan. Life is a lot more open in terms of possibility and flexibility when you're in your early 20s. It's trite advice, but figuring out how to do what you love is very important. It's also important to have reasonable expectations. What I'd really love to do is garden and write poetry all day, but I'm fortunate to have found an occupation that draws on my strengths, skills, and passions. No job is going to satisfy your passions 100%. Find something that works well enough and that pays the bills. This will become increasingly critical if you plan to marry and start a family. But on the other hand, please make space for your passions! They will be your lifeblood in years where work is mundane and more about survival than anything else.

What are you reading?

I am currently reading H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald. I adore it.