In a few sentences, describe your post-Biola work/life journey.
After graduating in 2008, I moved home to Washington State, and shortly thereafter taught English at a Chinese preschool for four and a half months via a missions organization. Upon my return to the States, I quickly moved back to Southern California where I worked as a valet supervisor, which was a job I had worked throughout my time at Biola. I also worked part-time at Costco until a friend from my undergrad had me interview for a purchasing role in a Japanese corporation. I didn’t even know what buying was at the time, but after two years at that company, I was hired by Boeing as a procurement agent, where I worked for six years before transitioning to a role as a field rep.
How does having a degree in English help you do your job?
As a field representative, I spend my days visiting suppliers and primarily working on shortages with them. This can entail negotiations with them and with Boeing. There is a lot of problem solving that occurs, and above all, a ton of communication. I write many emails trying to best communicate between programs that need parts, and suppliers who are behind schedule. I spend a lot of time in the car driving from one supplier to the next, and I’m frequently calling in to various meetings as I travel. Getting an English degree helped me establish common ground with the people who work at my suppliers, and with my counterparts at Boeing. It is a beautiful thing to build some relational equity due to a common book that my contact and I have both read. Additionally, my degree helps me be concise in my communications, and drill down to what is being said, and what needs to follow. English helps me pick the right words in tricky situations and help everyone involved understand what is going on.
What was a favorite class you had while a Biola English major?
My first English class at Biola was Aaron Kleist’s Early English Lit. This easily reinforced that I had selected the right major for myself. The entire semester was truly enjoyable despite the early start time. Dr Kleist’s energy and enthusiasm were felt by every student in the class. By the final, we were out on Sutherland lawn, and at one point I had to ‘woo’ an unsuspecting potential student through song as she walked by, in order to secure myself a satisfactory passing grade. I’ll never forget it.
What about life after college was most surprising to you?
Honestly, I never thought I’d get into business. I always thought I’d go into education. After a couple of years with Boeing, they offered to pay for my MBA, which I completed this past August. I am good at what I do, but someday anticipate a return to my roots in English.
Another surprising event was my appointment to a deacon position in my church at the tender age of twenty-five. I figured I would get to that in my forties, yet my church asked me to step into the role at a much younger age. Similarly, I was asked to be a worship leader about a year ago, which was very unexpected as well. God has filled in where I lacked, and I can’t speak highly enough of serving a local church community that you’re closely tied to.
What advice would you give to a current Biolan majoring in English?
I would say stick with it. The world needs more English majors, and the education lends itself incredibly well to many careers.
What’s something you know now you wish you knew when you were an undergrad?
I wish I had taken more creative writing classes while I was at Biola. I took a public speaking class in one of my earlier semesters at Biola, and that helped a lot with my later presentations. It was very influential at work and during my MBA.
What are you reading?
I’m currently reading Eugene Vodolazkin’s Laurus, David Foster Wallace’s Consider the Lobster, Andrew Roberts’ Churchill: Walking With Destiny, and Tim Keller’s Prayer.