Sam Arnett ’19

Communication

Biography

I applied to Taylor without applying or visiting anywhere else because almost ten years prior, I had visited with my older sister who was going on college tours at the time. The young me fell in love with the campus and the community even then. She ended up going to the University of Dayton but when I was growing up, our neighbors sent four of their kids to Taylor, so it has always been around me in some way. Since leaving Taylor, life hasn't exactly been a cake walk. Graduating right the Covid-19 pandemic presented some interesting challenges, especially when trying to apply for jobs! Many, many doors were shut to me to the sound of "sorry, we're not actually hiring right now" or "we're waiting to see how things go before we bring anyone new on" and oftentimes to just silence. This lasted for almost a year until the perfect door was opened to a job that combined nearly all of my passions: music, technology, creative design, and communication. I was offered a job to be the director of worship and media at the church I had attended for years! It was such an obvious sign to me that I was meant to be there. Other doors had been closed to me so that in time, this one could be opened. God is good!

What were some of your most valuable experiences at Taylor?

I began my college career in 2016 as a FISPer, the Freshman Irish Studies Program. If it wasn't difficult enough to start college in a different state, there I was starting it in a different country, a different continent! It was truly one of the best decisions I've ever made. It was an absolutely life-changing experience that I will bring with me throughout the rest of my life. One of my other favorite aspects of Taylor is the community we have. I remember staying up until the early hours of the morning to have deep theological, philosophical, and political conversations with other men on my floor of different races, backgrounds, denominations, and political leanings. It's truly encouraging to be a part of a civil discussion where disagreements are at the center, but it doesn't escalate into an argument. Just people learning from one another. It's been hard to find a group like that since I've left.

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

I still regularly speak with some of my professors, some on a weekly basis. Taylor is such a unique place where in many cases, the professor speaks to their students as an equal without compromising their own authority in the classroom. I felt we could speak like fellow academics, just where one clearly had more experience in the field. I almost always felt comfortable speaking my mind, raising concerns, or asking questions because I knew that my professors truly cared about me. I try to take this and apply it to my own teams that I lead so everyone feels like they have a voice.

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

I think the greatest advantage that a graduate from Taylor has is their relational experience. Now, the catch is that there truly is no place like Taylor, so we can't expect the rest of the world to look that way. However, if we apply some of the unique and positive ways that we interact with one another, maybe we just might help somewhere make a change. If you're put in a position of authority, give your team a voice. If someone says something you disagree with, ask them questions instead of throwing accusations. No place is perfect, not even Taylor University, but the world isn't perfect either and as Christians and lifelong academics, it's our duty to take a step back and see the world differently: with our heads and our hearts guided by our souls.

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

In any field, never stop learning. Always be learning more about your industry. Always be learning more about the world around you. Always be learning about what interests you. You'd be surprised how often random things might apply to a conversation. If you are considering a career in some form of ministry or nonprofit field, first of all, thank you. Secondly, I want to encourage you by saying that it's absolutely worth it. It's far from easy, though. Many times, the world will seem like it's against you. You probably won't be paid well, many people (even Christians) won't respect what you do, and it's sometimes hard to take time off to vacation or even just relax. The best advice I can give you is to lean on one another. Help your coworkers when you can and foster an environment where no one walks alone. You don't need to be best friends with everyone, but you're all in the same boat and the seas will always be rough. Only Jesus can calm the stormy seas, and he can help you walk through them.