Annika Bergen ’11 credits the well-rounded, interdisciplinary education she received
at Southwest Baptist University for launching her into a rewarding career with unique
and exciting opportunities.
“SBU offered a quality education that gave me the skill set needed for my career as a writer,” Annika said. “But SBU instilled in me so much more than a good education. The professors, staff, and their families cared about me as a whole person.”
Her degree in writing, coupled with minors in business administration and art, prepared Annika for her current position as Giver Services and Communication Specialist at National Christian Foundation Heartland.
Recently, Annika had the opportunity to play several roles as she helped with the
national launch for the new book by Hobby Lobby founder David Green, “Giving It All
Away…and Getting It All Back Again: The Way of Living Generously.” In addition to
helping edit the book, Annika coordinated marketing efforts for the book between Hobby
Lobby, National Christian Foundation, Zondervan (publishing company) and Serve Literary
(public relations firm). Annika helped handle the social media accounts for Bill High,
CEO of National Christian Foundation Heartland, during the book launch. She even traveled
to New York with Green and High to help promote the book on shows such as “CBS Morning
Show,” “The 700 Club,” and “Fox & Friends.”
Through this and other opportunities, Annika can see how her various classes and studies at SBU are paying off in the real world. Her English and writing classes equipped her with the necessary technical skills to be a successful writer and editor. Her graphic design classes allow her to confidently provide input on marketing designs. And her business classes on topics such as consumer behavior and marketing helped her understand how consumers think.
“SBU gave me the confidence to step out into new experiences,” Annika states. “At
the beginning of each semester, I would feel intimidated as I looked at the syllabus,
but by the end of every semester, I had learned the tools needed to complete the assignments.
My experiences at SBU gave me confidence to step into a career pathway knowing I am
capable of learning whatever it takes to get the job done.”
As she reflects back on this recent, unique experience, Annika feels blessed to be using what she learned at SBU in her job.
“I am so excited to keep living this adventure God has me on, and I can see the ways that He used SBU to play an influential role in the story He’s writing for me.”