Alumni Updates

Cara Gillespie ’17: BA in Communication, Minor in Religion

“Since graduation I’ve been in a period of transition. I’ve officially been invited to serve with the Peace Corps in Peru as a Business Advising Volunteer. I leave for Lima in March 2018. In the meantime, I am spending time with my family and working as a bartender saving money to prepare for my two years of volunteer service, as well as, brushing up on my Spanish in my free time. I am so grateful for my time at PLU and know that my experiences there have prepared me for what I am about to experience in Peru.”

Rebecca Johnson ’17: BFA in Studio Arts and BA in Computer Science

“So, right now I’m interning at Concur Technologies in Bellevue as Software Development engineer. I’ve been working with them since June and will be here at least until December. Been trying to work in my spare time on some small projects in Graphic Design and Photography. Hopefully I’ll be working more on that as the weather gets gross”

Emilio Gonzalez ’17: Bachelor in Music Composition

“Since graduation, I’ve moved to Ohio to start graduate school. I am currently at Bowling Green State University, where I have started my Master’s in music composition. Besides my own studies, as a teaching assistant I’ve started working with nearly 130 students in a couple world music classes. School has just begun and I’m starting to get busy, but everything is going well so far!”

Jenny Kimura ’17: BFA Studio Arts, Minor in Printing and Publishing Arts, Minor in Latin, Minor in Art History

“I got a job at my high school (Trinity Christian School in Kailua, Hawaii) as the Digital Media Specialist, basically helping run their social media platforms, creating advertising/internal materials, doing some digital marketing, and consulting on marketing/advertising strategies. I’m working there (part time) remotely for the next year, started this past June. I’m due to start at Portland State University at the end of September for my Master’s in Writing and Book Publishing, and I’m starting my graduate assistant training a little before that! I’ll be teaching undergraduate writing 101 classes and/or tutoring in the Writing Center (not sure if I’ll be teaching this semester, but probably sometime this year). That’s about it! Portland’s pretty awesome! I’m looking forward to starting classes, though.”

Kaitlyn Hall ’17: BA in Communication, BA in Hispanic Studies

“I am a student at the M.A. in Translation program as well as a Spanish instructor at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. I hope to work as a linguist for the FBI.”

Shelondra Harris ’17: BA in Communication, Minor in Nonprofit Leadership

“Since graduation I have been working a seasonal, summer job through Metro Parks. Like most recent graduates, I have been struggling to find permanent employment at a “big person job”, but with grad school around the corner, I’m not too concerned (yet). I will be a full-time student in PLU’s Master’s in Science Marketing Research (MSMR) program.”

Laura Hillis ’17: BA in Anthropology and BA in Global Studies

“I spent part of this summer as a Youth Worker at an inner city community centre in Regina, SK (hometown). Then I drove 30 hours from Vancouver, BC to Whitehorse, Yukon, bringing 21 cellos to a music camp that had never before been able to have cello lessons for lack of instruments. I taught some beginner music classes at the camp (not cello– I was just helping the cello instructor transport them from Vancouver!). Now I have moved to Vancouver, BC, where I will be starting a Masters of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia. I will be specializing in natural resource management planning in Indigenous contexts, and will be finding ensembles and other opportunities to continue playing lots of music!”