Are You Ready? Reflecting on graduation and preparing for the future

With my academic career, I have always felt ready to take on new learning and academic challenges. But in the Spring of 2022, for the first time, I felt unready. I was not ready to finish my learning and I certainly wasn’t ready to step into the “real world.” Reflecting over the past three years of my time at SPU, I have come to realize that SPU was setting me up to be the most prepared I’ve ever been to step into life beyond college and my career.

Coming into 2020, I was ready for the transition into college life. I was excited to be in a dorm, to meet new people, and to be more independent. The following year, I wanted more responsibility, and to be more involved, even with the Covid-19 pandemic limiting many opportunities. Despite the pandemic, I found myself in the roles of a Student Orientation Coordinator and as an Assistant for the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership. These positions built up my leadership experience and confidence, without me even knowing it.

That same year, I wanted to advance my marketing and digital media experience; these subjects were the reason I was in school. As I was searching job listings for a good fit, I noticed an opportunity to apply for the position of “Social Media Assistant” with the Center of Faithful Business (CFB) at SPU’s School of Business, Government, and Economics. I applied the same day the job was published, though I feared I wasn’t qualified. I immediately began researching the Center for Faithful Business, so I could be prepared in case I was invited to interview. This preparation paid off, as I landed the job, and I am still with the Center today. As thankful as I was getting this role in the Winter of 2022, I was wrapping up both my major and my minor, while also wrestling with all the future unknowns. I feared what was next, I felt that my time at SPU wasn’t over, and I worried that I wasn’t ready to step into the future.

This past year (2022-2023) involved the best decision I have made for myself, personally and academically. With the encouragement of an advisor in the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership office, I took on another minor, in Leadership Studies. As part of this minor, I went through a six-month internship with WiLD Leaders, and added two other student leadership positions: as a Publicist for the Student Union Board and the Associated Students of Seattle Pacific. Reflecting on this past year and all the opportunities and experiences I was given, thanks to God, I was preparing for the future in ways I did not see coming. I feel more than ready to be dedicated to servant leadership, to embrace authenticity, and to remain true to myself, to nurture optimism and hope, to extend love through gracious actions and to advocate for others’ best interests, to foster a trusting community, and to rely on my unwavering faith as a guiding force throughout my journey.

A year ago, I would have never imagined being in the position I am today, feeling fully prepared for what may come. The opportunities I’ve received, the experiences I have been a part of, and getting to know the most amazing people I have met during this time have set me up for my next steps. While I may not know what fully lies ahead, I am ready to use everything I have learned to grow into my career and into myself as a leader.

With that, I am excited to share I am graduating Cum Laude with my bachelor’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and a double minor in Digital Media and Leadership Studies. I will soon be moving to Nevada to church plant, following God’s call, and I will continue my time with the Center for Faithful Business, advancing my career in important and meaningful ways.

–Reflection by Nicole Baker, recent graduate of the School of Business, Government, and Economics at Seattle Pacific University, and Center for Faithful Business Social Media Assistant