Meet Jonathan Seruyange, a 2001 Biola English Alum who is now the Associate Director of Financial Aid Training and Compliance at Biola University.
IN A FEW SENTENCES, DESCRIBE YOUR POST-BIOLA WORK/LIFE JOURNEY.
After graduating from Biola, I started a job as a Financial Aid Counselor at the university. I had initially wanted to do journalism, but the market at the time did not have many entry-level positions. I did find, however, that my skills, interests, and education made me well-suited for the position I had taken, and I thrived in my role. I have been working in the Financial Aid Office at Biola for a long time now, and have enjoyed the opportunities I have had. I went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Education with an intent to enhance my skill set and that, too, has been beneficial to me, and those I serve through my work.
WHAT IS YOUR SPECIFIC POSITION (AT THE ORGANIZATION/COMPANY WHERE YOU WORK)? AND HOW DID GETTING AN ENGLISH DEGREE PREPARE YOU FOR THE JOB?
My current position is Associate Director of Financial Aid Training and Compliance at Biola University. I have a mix of responsibilities, including training of new and current staff, examination and creation of policy, managing document edits and updates, evaluation of appeals, and occasionally counseling students on the financial aid process. My English degree has been influential in several aspects of my work. I do a lot of writing and creation of communication tools, and I frequently deliver presentations. The ability to write effectively, to understand the writing of others, and also to understand how people think are all things my work as an English major enhanced greatly. The philosophical aspect of thinking through complex and nuanced personal stories also plays a role in how I approach the tasks I do daily.
WHAT WAS A FAVORITE CLASS OR EXPERIENCE YOU HAD WHILE A BIOLA ENGLISH MAJOR?
During my time as an English major, I had a lot of positive experiences, but one experience that stands out to me is the opportunity I had to do an independent study of African literature for a semester. I am from East Africa originally (though I’m now a U.S. citizen), and the opportunity to use the skills I learned through the program to study literature that discussed identities closely related to my own was a very important experience during my time as an undergraduate student. I would recommend this for any students whose cultural identity is outside the “mainstream” of most literature courses.
WHAT ABOUT LIFE AFTER COLLEGE WAS MOST SURPRISING TO YOU?
A positive surprise to me during my early post-collegiate years was how many opportunities there were to continue learning and growing using the tools from my undergraduate studies. We often talk about “senioritis” in our final years of college, but I found it very life-giving to re-examine some of the things I’d learned or read and to see new things. I also found surprising ways that I could use my skills as a writer and editor in the job I ended up taking, as well as in many ways outside my work. I shared poetry as ministry, for example, and even had some of my poetry work its way into a course’s ongoing curriculum. A difficult surprise after college was how challenging it was to get the job I’d originally envisioned. I believe, based on my interactions with the organizations, that this was largely due to market forces at the time—a factor I had not truly considered as an undergraduate.
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 would advise a current Biola English major to dig deep into what you’re learning. Don’t just read or write to fulfill the assignment requirements. This is a great opportunity to read and write to know yourself better and to explore your skills as a thinker, communicator, and creative person. I’d also encourage English majors to think about how our discipline connects with other disciplines. One of the best decisions I made as an undergraduate (besides choosing the English major) was adding a minor in Psychology. I found very rich connections between the disciplines and it helped me gain more from some of the topics on which I read. I don’t believe a minor in another field is necessary for that, but it did enhance my own learning.
ARE YOU READING LATELY, AND IF SO, WHAT?
Reading is a bit like breathing for me, so I always have a book I’m working on! Two books I’ve read recently are Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu and No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe. I’m currently reading Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.