Meet LaShunte Portrey, in honor of whom one of our senior awards – the LaShunte T. Rockett Award for Excellence in Professional Achievement – is named.
LaShunte is currently employed by Pepperdine University as the Assistant Director of Marketing and Student Development for International Programs.
In a few sentences, describe your post-Biola work/life journey.
After graduating from Biola, I moved to Oklahoma to reconnect with my first foster family and then studied for a Master’s in Philosophy and Education at Columbia University’s Teachers College. I was passionately curious – and still am – about international education.
To finish my Master’s thesis, I moved to Tanzania to conduct field studies for my research. I intended to stay there for three months, but ended up living, teaching, doing marketing and PR work, and serving in Arusha for three years before deciding to move back to the States to be closer to Matt, a man I had begun dating during a trip home (Matt is now my husband).
After holding various professional roles, I am now the Assistant Director of Marketing and Student Development for International Programs at Pepperdine University. In this position, I get to put a wide range of my skills into action – from storytelling and education to marketing and event planning.
What is your specific position (at the organization/company where you work)? And how did getting an English degree prepare you for the job?
I work at Pepperdine University as the Assistant Director of Marketing and Student Development for International Programs.
Being an English major prepared me for this position because the heart of marketing is storytelling. I am tasked with inviting students to embark on a formative pilgrimage through study-abroad opportunities. To this end, clear, persuasive, and empathetic communication skills and awareness of my audience are essential.
What was a favorite class or experience you had while a Biola English major?
I took an African American Literature course with Dr. Malandra. And I loved it. I was grateful for the dialogue we had as a class, and how it introduced me to literature that reflected my own heritage.
What about life after college was most surprising to you?
As a college student, I bought the myth that my B.A. degree would suddenly, on its own, open many doors of opportunity. Since graduating, I’ve learned that dream jobs do not subtly or suddenly manifest. You have to decide what your dream job will be and then pursue it — most often by owning and shaping your own story.
Also, when I was a student I did not recognize how powerful a recommendation is. Whether you’re applying for grad school, applying for jobs, or seeking opportunities as an entrepreneur, it is important to have people who can attest to your character, skills, competence, and unique personality.
The voices of people who had known me in professional spaces held a lot of weight in opening doors for me in my career. The community that speaks of you is often what validates the story you spend so much time putting together and presenting to others via your resume, job applications, interviews, etc. Meet people. Make connections. Gather community around you.
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 tell a current Biola English major that there’s never going to be a perfect work environment. It is good, and important, to be honest and realistic about what work environments are truly like, both before entering them and while working in them. Though this can be difficult, it ultimately places agency for finding your “dream job” in your hands, not at the mercy of employers’ or corporations’ whims.
Also, talk to your professors about their lives! When I was a student, I wanted to know the stories of my professors and how they were staying relevant in their fields and balancing their commitments.. Treasure the time you get to have with your college advisors, professors, and mentors.
Are you reading lately, and if so, what?
I’m reading Little Women because I want to watch the newest film, but I think re-reading the book and then watching the film will be more satisfying.
Another book I’m wrapping up is Becoming by Michelle Obama, which will soon have a debut film on Netflix. Also, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo.