Tell me a bit about your work, and about how getting an English degree has helped you prepare for the job.

I serve as Chair of English at Pacifica Christian High School in Orange County and as Associate Pastor of St. Matthew's Anglican Church. For my teaching job, the English degree gave me a general base of literary movements and authors, a rigorous grasp of critical theory, and a diverse sampling of teaching styles. I received content knowledge, yes, but also an expansive imagination for how English could be taught. In my pastoral work, the English degree trained my attention to both direct and inferential detail in written and verbal communication, a frequently needed skill in church life. As an Anglican pastor, in particular, my training from Biola continues to assist my understanding of the English spiritual tradition and its pastoral sensibility, symbolism, and preaching tradition.

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

One that comes often and warmly to mind is of a bombastic discussion of Monty Python and the Holy Grail in Dr. Kleist's living room while enjoying some eccentric dishes inspired by recovered medieval recipe books.

What about life after college was most surprising to you?

I was surprised at the revival of my love for sci-fi novels, which had been dormant through college.

What is something you did in college that later helped you professionally?

Networking was essential in landing that first job, so be attentive to develop and maintain relationships with people who can vouch for your potential.

Are you reading lately, and if so, what?

Right now I'm reading in preparation for classes on Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther and Miller's The Crucible. Otherwise, I just finished a biography of the tornado chaser Tim Samaras: highly enjoyable but a bit too stimulating for bedtime reading.