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Evangel alumni perspective: Dana Logsdon Mason

Name: Dana Logsdon Mason

Graduation Year: 2003 (technically December 2002, but walked in 2003)

Major: Marketing

Current Position: HR Coordinator, Walmart Home Office

City and State: Bentonville, AR

Tell us about your career and what you do now.

Since my time at Evangel, I have enjoyed work in a variety of fields, including the music industry, the US Department of Defense in Germany, and public relations for a community college. I am now in HR at the Walmart Home Office, on the Associate Relations team.

What is your favorite memory from Evangel?

Anything related to the Concert Choir! To this day, some of my dearest friends are people I met through the choir. I have wonderful memories from adventures with the girls on my floor, attending basketball and football games, and had some truly excellent professors, but Sharon Wilkins and the Concert Choir definitely top the list. 

How did Evangel help you identify/develop your calling?

Evangel provided me with an opportunity to make academic study and career path choices in the context of seeking God’s best for my life. It was a place where I saw first-hand how you can serve God and minister to others even if you are not called to full-time pastoral ministry or missions. Evangel’s leadership and faculty encouraged me to pursue whatever God called me to and gave me the talents to do, and that gave me the freedom to figure out what that meant.

How did your experience at Evangel prepare you for life after graduation?

I left Evangel confident in my education, secure in my examined faith, and connected to a community of alumni who support and help each other even if Evangel is the only thing we have in common. I have a strong foundation that allows me to continue pursuing whatever God has next for me. Every time my career and my life have changed direction, my Evangel family has been there for me, both professionally and personally. 

What advice would you give a current student preparing for the workforce?

  • Don’t hesitate to promote yourself; a job interview is not the time to downplay what you bring to the table.
  • Apply for every job you think you can do. The worst that can happen is you don’t get it; even then, the hiring manager now knows your name and has seen your resume. You never know what can come from that. I once interviewed for a position and did not get it, but the company later called to offer me a different position instead.
  • Don’t take it personally when you don’t get the job. Keep applying. The right job will come through at the right time.
  • If you want to completely switch careers, go for it. It’s never too late to try something new.
  • Take the opportunity for adventures while you can. Take a job in an exciting location, accept a lower-paying job that will offer unique experience, or just travel like crazy, whatever adventure looks like to you. Don’t say “someday.” The day will come when your risks have to be more calculated, so do it now!

What would you look for if you were in a position to hire new graduates from Evangel?

I would look for someone who communicates well, shows enthusiasm for the opportunity, and is teachable. And someone whose references speak highly of them as a person, not just of their work. Systems and procedures can be taught to the right person; the wrong person won’t work out in the long run no matter how skilled they are.