Pursuing a graduate degree is more than adding letters after your name. Hear from the graduate-admission professionals who communicate daily with prospective students, locally and globally. Learn why those students choose to study at PLU — and what they gain from our distinct programs.

Open Books: A Poem Emporium is a hub for the poetry community, locally and nationwide. But to Billie Swift ’16, it’s so much more. Learn about this Lute poet who acquired more than a master’s during her MFA studies.

Anna Loomis ’14 spent the past 15 years with MultiCare, the largest community-based, locally governed health system in Washington state. She wore many hats, culminating in her role as CFO the last four years of her tenure. Read about her decision to enter PLU’s MBA program and the skills she gained en route to senior leadership.

Teaching can be the toughest job you’ll ever love. The payoff often comes in the midst of the commotion. Read about four local educators who are embracing the challenges after pursuing continuing education opportunities through PLU’s School of Education.

It didn’t take long for Hansel Doan ’17 to find the perfect place to photograph his “barista creations.” Read how the MSMR grad turned break-time Instagram photos into a corporate dream job.

A younger Pape Samba ’18 watched movies and news stories from his home in Senegal and became fascinated with the global economy. He wondered how people create financial wealth. That initial curiosity, combined with his desire to study abroad after high school, eventually landed Samba in the MSF program at PLU.

Sabet-Kazilas, a member of Baha’i faith, faced marginalization in her home country of Iran dating back to kindergarten. Baha’i followers there experience pervasive persecution at the hands of their own government. Now, the MFT graduate is working to launch her own practice to help immigrants and refugees facing similar trauma.

Eric Larsen ’09 worked for years as a biologist for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. As he rose through the ranks and the work became more sequestered, he started craving a job that made a more immediate impact. So, at 46 years old, he entered PLU’s entry-level MSN program. Now, he treats inmates at the Washington Corrections Center.