Victoria Leigh Julien

Employer Partnership Coordinator

Public Relations and Strategic Communication, B.A. '19

The PR program at Biola challenged and developed my character, which is far greater than any hard or soft skill I learned in the classroom.

How did your program at Biola prepare you for your career?
The PR program at Biola challenged and developed my character, which is far greater than any hard or soft skill I learned in the classroom. Each professor intentionally mentored and instructed me based on my season in life at that time, modeling resilience and perseverance despite challenges. Because of that program, I am a stronger and more relational leader led by an unwavering compass of beliefs and values based on Jesus Christ.

What did you appreciate most about your time at Biola?
At Biola, I appreciated the supportive community that encouraged us all to ask one another challenging questions, the open discussions, and formative conversations with one another as we all learned and grew alongside each other — students, staff and faculty alike. Leadership often encouraged students to confidently and humbly approach these topics with peers, via chapels, conferences, diversity events and student clubs.

How did Biola equip you to be a more faithful follower of Jesus Christ?
Much of our faith is not black and white — apart from core elements such as the gospel and salvation through faith by grace in Jesus Christ, many of our assumptions, traditions and expectations stem simply from family heritage or the churches we've attended. Biola equipped me to approach these gray areas of following Christ and fellowship amongst believers with humility, prayer, a grounding in Scripture and a desire for unity in the body.

What advice would you give to students considering your degree program?
I would encourage students to maturely, eagerly and humbly pursue their own growth and development. The depth of your spiritual growth, relationships, health and wellness, and education in your degree program is completely up to you. Professors will show grace time after time, mentor you, challenge you and bend over backward to ensure you are prepared for life after college, but at the end of the day, you determine for yourself which resources you pursue and challenge yourself. Run the race with all vigor, resilience and perseverance! It is worth every day and every second of effort. This includes building healthy habits, daily prayer time with the Lord, internships and outside opportunities to advance your resume and hard skills, and mentorship to refine your soft skills and self-reflective awareness.