Biola affiliated women held a panel called "Women in Work" on May 2, 2012, in the Collegium. They spoke to students about working in a male-dominate work force and juggling an occupation while maintaining a family. | Katie Juranek/THE CHIMES
Updated: May 3, 1:45 a.m.
Nicole Santos learned to stick up for herself at her job as the market development manager at Coca-Cola Refreshments.
“You’ll have to deal with conflict situations, and there’s a way to be graceful about it,” Santos said.
Santos along with three other Biola alumnae — Dionna Muldrow, Donell Campbell and Kelli Bradley — spoke on the Women in Work panel Wednesday night. This panel, which took place in the Collegium at 7:30 p.m., the event was catered by Sweet & Saucy Shop. Career Development and Commuter Life hosted the panel in an effort to teach the 30 attendees how to juggle different aspects of life with work.
“I’m a worker, I love to work, I love to have my plate full,” said Bradley, who works as the director of The Dream Center’s foster care interventions and transitional family housing programs. “However, [with kids,] I give 100 percent to them, and my phone goes away so they don’t have to compete with it.”
Muldrow, who is the diversity and campus relations specialist at NBCUniversal, concurred, and said, “Every season will be different. I would ask, ‘God, what do you want me to do?’”
Panel discusses working in secular world
In addition to discussing the problem of balancing a career with life, the four women tackled issues such as working in the secular world and making the transition from college to the real world.
“When I was young, women didn’t work outside the home much,” said Campbell, who teaches as an adjunct professor for the nursing department at Biola University. “[During this time,] God wanted me to ask who I wanted to be.”
The women stressed the importance of enjoying college, but also preparing for life after.
“I thought the adventure would end once I graduated,” Bradley said. “But my expectations of life were a lot lower as a student. My life is so much better than what I thought it would be.”
The floor was open for students to ask the panel questions, and one student brought up the topic of having a career in a male-dominated workplace.
“When I started out at The Dream Center, I was viewed as ‘the kid,’” Bradley said. “You need to be strong and confident; don’t cower in a corner. You have to be prepared and assured of who you are and just be ready for it.”
After the event, students were able to personally talk to the women and hang out in the Collegium. Sandra Harden, a career counselor who planned the event, felt that it met a need in the Biola community.
“[The idea of this event] just was talked about at staff meetings and came up during counselings,” Harden said. “Women weren’t realizing their potential, and they can be good Christian women who work.”
Career Development and Commuter Life are hosting an event on May 2 in which a panel of women will speak about how to balance a successful career with faith and relationships.
“The event sounds awesome! I think it’s a great topic that needs to be addressed for both men and women,” sophomore Jordyn Tyler said.
This panel, which will take place in the Collegium at 7:30 p.m, will feature four women who are Biola alumnae — Dionna Muldrow, Nicole Santos, Donell Campbell and Kelli Bradley.
Muldrow is the diversity and campus relations specialist at NBC Universal, and manages the West Coast Internship Program. Santos is the market development manager at Coca-Cola Refreshments, and also runs a freelance photography business. Campbell teaches as an adjunct professor for the nursing department at Biola University, and is the alumni liaison for the Rosemead School of Professional Psychology. Bradley works as the director of The Dream Center’s foster care intervention and transitional family housing programs, and is co-director of The Movement, the college leadership school.
To register for this free event, go to the event page on Career Development’s website.
