For Hailey Millhollen (BA ’18), her time at Fresno Pacific University was truly some of the most formative in her growth as a scholar and young adult, preparing her for, not the career she expected, but one she has come to love.

A TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE

At FPU, Hailey was encouraged to ask questions and to wrestle with complicated ideas—even if there were no clear-cut answers at the bottom of the rabbit hole. She calls the act of exploration the most important.

Hailey received multiple opportunities to dig into subjects that captivated her curiosity. “I got to travel to Portland to deliver a presentation on the uses of sound in Charlie Chaplin films, I analyzed the power of nostalgia in the Stranger Things series for my senior project, and I delivered my most important speech in Dr. Pam’s Medieval Rhetoric class. She gave me the freedom to explore satire in my persuasive speech, in which I explained why the class should support my bid to become dictator of the world. To this day, Dr. Pam remains my most faithful advisor,” she says, referring to Pam Johnston, Ph.D., associate professor and disciplinary lead in history.

Looking back, FPU has only grown in importance since graduation, the memories a reminder of the transformative power of education and the impact it can have on a life. “As someone who studied film and is just a general film nerd, I cannot help but watch these montages rolling through my mind,” she says. “They have got this orange glow to them, a warmth that I can truly feel. It’s the laughing fits with roommates in Stras 1 when we’ve all stayed up far too late, it’s sitting in The Forest with a book, watching students wander by, the sun sprinkling through the trees, it’s snippets from lectures about metaphor and performance theory and hoplites, and it’s ‘the look’ from Billie Jean Wiebe when she didn’t need to say anything for us to understand her meaning.”

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

As a “film nerd” who was convinced at 18 that she was going to go to Hollywood, Hailey would never have guessed she would end up in health care. Her only science classes at FPU were the two general education requirements. So how does she succeed in marketing and communications at Saint Agnes Medical Center, one of the four main hospitals in Fresno?

FPU did prepare Hailey for the challenges of six years in corporate health care: “I have discovered my voice as the main copy writer and editor for Saint Agnes. If you have ever seen any of our ads, magazines, etc., those were most likely written by me. I’ve also been able to interview dozens of patients to capture their stories and witness their strength,” she says.

The skills she carried into her job, and the ones she continues to hone all got their start at the university. “Without the classes I took, the conversations I had with my professors and the leadership opportunities I had here, I think my career would look vastly different,” she said. “I grew into the person I am today because of the foundations I laid here. As cheesy as it sounds, FPU did prepare me to spread my wings and leave the nest.”

GIVING BACK TO FPU

As a graduate, Hailey feels a deep connection and desire to give back to the institution that shaped her. She appreciates being invited back for events such as the Paragon Scholars Reunion, seeing all of the new renovations around campus and getting to play ultimate Frisbee with intramurals.

She recalls two occasions when professors nudged her toward the world beyond the campus gates:

The first was Hailey’s conversation with mentor Billie Jean Wiebe, Ph.D., associate professor of communication and English and director of the communication program. Trying to figure out where she was going to do her required internship, Hailey mentioned reaching out to the University Marketing and Communications Office. Billie Jean, who died in 2020, politely, but very firmly, told her no and encouraged her to look beyond FPU. Because of that, Hailey ended up interning at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and at Saint Agnes, which hired her after graduation.

The second was in her very last class as an undergrad: The Novel with Daniel Larson, Ph.D., associate professor of literature and chair of the fine arts & humanities department. At the end of their final lesson, he addressed the class of mostly juniors and seniors. For those graduating, he told them it was time to say goodbye. “Time to close one chapter and start the next,” she says.

“They told me to fly, and so I did,” Hailey says. “But I always remember to come home to visit.”