Anna Cummings ’19

Marketing

Biography

I grew up in southern Indiana in a Christian home, where I learned about God's love and redemptive plan and prayed a salvific prayer at a very young age. It wasn't until my summer working at church camp that I realized God's immense grace meant that my inability to be perfect even after "getting saved" didn't disqualify me from a lifelong relationship with Him. After that transformational experience, I began to feel the Holy Spirit prompting me to spend my college years studying and growing at Taylor. My four years at Taylor were spent developing lifelong friendships; growing as a leader through heavy involvement in Enactus (a social entrepreneurship organization); gaining professional experience through several internships during school and in the summers; being mentored personally and professionally by my professors; and learning how to view every aspect of life through the lens of God's design and purpose. After graduation, I spent a year working in logistics supporting a radar program at NSWC Crane, a Navy base in southern Indiana. I then accepted a role as a Lean Leader (process analyst and continuous improvement coach) at Dot Foods, where I've supported three of our east coast locations for two years. I will soon be transitioning to a Quality Manager role focusing on the IN facility, supporting food safety compliance in addition to continuous improvement. Since moving two years ago, I've been involved in women's and young adult ministry at my church and have served as a WyldLife ministry leader for middle schoolers. God has provided lots of connections and a rich, supportive network where I can continue to grow and give back alongside people who are on the same mission. I'm thankful for the worldview that my Taylor education helped me develop, which continues to impact how I spend my time, talents, and treasures today and how I plan for the years ahead.

What were some of your most valuable experiences at Taylor?

Many of my most valuable leadership experiences came from serving in leadership on our Enactus team, helping to coordinate project teams to make an impact in the community while learning how to apply classroom concepts in the real world. As a freshman and sophomore, I had the opportunity to work with a team to coordinate an on-site field trip at Eastbrook Elementary where kids got the chance to learn and practice business concepts, hear from local entrepreneurs, and even come up with their own business ideas! Our goal was to help kids see what "business" really meant and to cast a vision for their future if they weren't interested in the typical career paths they saw every day (teacher, farmer, doctor, etc.). It was such a valuable and fun experience for me, getting to work with many different stakeholders and lead a team to coordinate an event with many moving pieces. One of the most impactful events I was able to participate in as a student was Stand Up for Your Sister (brothers were later added) where students were invited to fill out an anonymous survey with their own personal experiences and challenges. The topics covered social, relational, mental, emotional, spiritual, and familial topics, and more. The student organizers collected all the surveys, mixed them up, and passed them back out, then read through the questions one at a time and each student would stand up if the completed survey they had received showed a "yes" response. This allowed everyone in the room to see just how prevalent many of these challenges were and demonstrated that no one is alone in what they are facing. It was an impactful and emotional event that strengthened our community and encouraged the students who attended. During my junior year at Taylor, I worked at the Calling and Career Office as an Employer Relations Intern, coordinating visits for employers and grad schools who were recruiting at Taylor. Getting to serve as part of a diverse and motivated intern team, all on mission together and playing different parts within that mission, really helped me develop a strong teamwork dynamic and a place where I felt I really fit in and could serve effectively while being myself and building personal relationships as well.

How did your classes or interactions with professors at Taylor impact your growth?

The professors I had during my time at Taylor invested in my growth personally and professionally, giving me a rich experience that prepared me well for the workplace and real life. Personal relationships with most of my professors created a safe space for me to raise important theological questions or traverse major life choices with the influence of wise, Biblical input. They encouraged me to see the greater purpose behind even the most mundane of tasks and responsibilities, cultivating a focus on faithful stewardship and service versus personal gain. Conversations about ethics and pursuing excellence with a kingdom mindset continue to impact how I view and prioritize my work today. My professors also gave me opportunities to collaborate on research projects and presentations to develop a transferable professional skill set. Projects in my business classes gave me an opportunity to practice new skills and knowledge by serving and connecting with real needs in the community. These projects also gave me a chance to learn effective leadership and teamwork skills that have carried forward to impact project management approaches in my career today.

How can Taylor graduates use their unique Taylor education and its liberal arts foundational core as an asset in your discipline?

The liberal arts foundational core along with the systems add-on to my degree have helped me see issues from different perspectives when working with a variety of stakeholders that have competing priorities. Because of the variety of coursework I completed during my time at Taylor, I am able to appreciate and empathize with people who hold many different perspectives. The emphasis placed on integration of faith and learning at Taylor equips students to bring a kingdom perspective in the workplace. Specifically in the field of business, this looks like pursuing redemptive work through prioritizing care for the individual while also furthering the bottom line. Because of the unique education I received at Taylor, I'm able to show up in the workplace as an intermediary, facilitating problem-solving conversations to work toward win-win outcomes. I'm also equipped to have empathetic spiritual conversations in the workplace and in the community to help point others to Jesus, wherever they are in their journey.

What advice or encouragement could you provide for Taylor students in your vocational discipline?

As a business major, there are limitless options for career steps after graduation. The best career-specific advice I could give would be to explore several of these possibilities, through informational interviewing, job shadowing, networking, internships, and projects/case studies. Having a broad view of the potential paths will help you in the short and long run as you seek to find the best fit. You may not get your dream job right away, so understanding what experiences could help you get there is very valuable. And as with any career path, the overarching call (our true vocation) is to love others well and seek to point them to a life changing relationship with God, sometimes by living godly lives on full display, sometimes by practically loving and serving others where they are, and sometimes by explicitly speaking God's truth into their lives and circumstances. No matter what deadline is in front of us, what personnel issue we're working through, or what goal we want to achieve, our first priority should always be remaining sensitive to the Holy Spirit to help us discern those opportunities and give us the boldness it takes to walk faithfully in the path He has prepared, in the workplace, in the community, and at home. This is all easier said than done, so it takes intentionality and dependence on the Holy Spirit to walk with God daily and stay connected to Christian community, but it is ultimately so worth it.