Career Profiles - Snapshots of Vocation
School of Humanities
Ben Armacost
Title: Full time church-planter/evangelist
Employer: International Mission Board for the Southern Baptist Convention
Graduated: 1984
Major: Christian Education
"For 20 years now my major has served as a solid foundation for [this work]."
Finding a major to study is not always a long, excruciating process. Sometimes God makes it clear on a person's heart what they want to do-occasionally even at a young age... (more)

Jon Benda
Title: College Lecturer
Employer:Tunghai University
Graduated: 1990
Major: English
"I think the best thing I can be is a good role model to students and colleagues."
Jon always had a penchant for writing. That made his college major choice easy - English... (more)

Tamara Brown
Title: Just passed the PA Bar Exam
Graduated: 1996
Major: French
"I like to think that I am the person people don't mind working with."
“I struggled as a political science major,” Tamara says, “and when I met with my academic advisor he encouraged me to consider French as a major. I loved traveling and was already pretty near fluency in French. The change in my major made a world of difference to my entire experience.” (more)

David Cummins
Title: Manager of Business Development
Employer:Transportation Systems and Services within Affiliated Computer Services
Graduated: 1994
Major: Political Science
"When one door closes, another tends to open."
God instills passions and gifts in us all. A hard lesson to learn is when the vocational path we set for ourselves does not align with God’s ultimate plan. David Cummins graciously lived this, and his story is truly a blessing in disguise. David allowed God to write his vocational journey. In turn, he is an incredibly successful businessman, who uses his gifts to minister to as many people as he is in contact with in his vocation; whether they be e mployees that he manages, customers he serves or other companies with whom he interacts. (more)

Brianna Fuller
Title: Deputy Federal Public Defender
Employer: Office of the Federal Public Defender, Los Angeles, CA
Graduated: 2001
Major: Spanish
"My professors always told me I could do it..."
To fulfill her dream of promoting social justice, Brianna Fuller realized she needed to follow a path to law school. Brianna’s experiences at Messiah inspired her to continue her education by both whetting her interest in social justice and exposing her to the possibility of graduate education. (more)

Kevin Hicks
Title: General Counsel and Vice President
Employer: SafeNet Inc.
Graduated: 1993
Major: Political Science
"My vocation is part of who I am..."
In weighing and determining his options of which major to choose as a student at Messiah College, Kevin fused his interests and passions with his prayer life. (more)

Ryan Keith
Title: Coordinator, Harrisburg Market Keystone Innovation Zone (KIZ)
Employer: Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC
Graduated: 2002
Major: Politics
"I'm passionate about helping people..."
Ryan Keith was pulled in more directions than he could go. He had so many interests and majors that he could pursue; he could not decide what to choose. “I considered the things that got me really excited,” Ryan says of his decision-making process, “what caught my eye, what I wanted to read about, what things I enjoyed doing.” (more)

Levi Landis
Title: Director
Employer: Emmaus (non-profit Christian community, Gettysburg, PA)
Graduated: 2004
Major: Bible
"I try to help make Emmaus a place where people don't come 'in' except to become a part of a small community looking 'out.' "
Channeling his passion for helping others, Levi Landis sensed a calling to a vocation of service and ministry.” (more)


Carmen McCain
Title: Foreign Language Area Studies fellow
Employer: University of Wisconsin, Madison
Graduated: 1999
Major: English
"The most satisfying job ... is one that will allow you to use your intellect and your imagination-one that you can be passionate about."
From the time she first successfully navigated the passages of her kindergarten text, Carmen McCain was passionate about reading. (more)

Jay McClymont
Title: Training and Development Specialist, Rite Aid Corporation
Graduated: 1992
Major: Communication
“Find something you enjoy doing and find someone willing to pay you to do it.”
These are powerful words, whether coming from their original source the legendary golfer Jack Nicolas or told to Messiah students during a Convocation chapel led by then-Messiah President D. Ray Hostetter. First-year student Jay McClymont, still undecided on a major resonated with the saying. “I enjoy speaking and being in front of a group,” Jay says, so he searched for an opportunity to pursue his passion. (more)

Keith D. Miller
Title: Pastor of Student Ministries, Manor Church, Lancaster
Graduated: 2005
Major: Christian Ministries
“The most gratifying part of my job is when I am privileged enough to get to see God change a heart . . .”
Keith Miller has always connected well with others, particularly in interactions with young people, but it took a summer camp position while he was in high school to channel this interest into potential career goals... (more)

Melinda Nowak
Title: Administrative Judge
Employer: State of Pennsylvania
Graduated: 1976
Major: English
"I write all the time; I’m always reading transcripts, putting it all together, writing the end of the story."
With these words, Melinda Nowak describes how she applies skills learned as an English major to her career as an administrative judge for the state of Pennsylvania. (more)

Kimberly Thornbury
Title: Dean of Students
Employer: Union University
Graduated: 1993
Major: Communication
"I said 'yes' to every project that came my way."
Kimberly attributes her time at Messiah with teaching her how to “integrate faith and learning in a real-world setting.” Her overall time at Messiah taught her how to think and how to be “a problem-solver and an incredible thinker,” she says. “[Messiah] taught me the value of an encouraging word.” (more)

Shelly Tolo
Title: Owner
Employer: Tolo Events
Graduated: 1990
Major: Communication
"I use my communication and business skills on a daily basis."
While she clung to her dream, college life was gently refocusing her ambitions in a new direction. "Experiences I enjoyed at Messiah gave me insight into a career I would never have considered: fundraising." (more)

Charlotte White
Title: Protestant Chaplain
Employer: York Correctional Institution
Graduated: 1968
Major: English
"I am a non-anxiety-producing presence on the prison compound..."
Numerous students in the School of the Humanities, English included, often hear the same question when telling someone what they’re studying: “Oh, so you want to be a teacher?” On the surface it might seem that only a few career choices are open to English majors: teaching, journalism, or something in publishing. Charlotte contests. (more)

Dan Wilt
Title: Global Worship Resource Coordinator
Employer: Vineyard Worship Resources/Vineyard Music
Graduated: 1987
Major: Religion
"I feel a deep sense of privilege in what I do."
In a world that can seem full of difficult, high-priority decisions, it is often easy to second-guess and question oneself about the means to achieve an end. Struggling with "what-ifs" is enough to send anyone spiraling into doubt as to whether or not their decision was the "right" decision. (more)

Delight Yokley
Title: Director of College Diversity and residence counselor
Employer: Kings College
Graduated: 1998
Major: History
“You don’t need to be in a particular field to do what you want to do in life.”
Serious contemplation of vocation did not occur for Delight Yokley until her senior year of high school, when she decided to slacken her course load a little and take an easier level social studies class. (more)