Part of our goal with UA Connections is to help us all get to know each other better. Strengthening relationships in the workplace increases success and productivity by creating a more collaborative environment. Plus, it just makes things more fun! So we thought, what better way to get to know our colleagues in blog posts than by interviewing UA staff members themselves!

Sarah Buckley, alumni engagement coordinator

Where did you grow up?


I grew up in Downey. It’s home to the first Taco Bell and the oldest standing McDonalds. I grew to love fast food at an early age.

sarah-buckleyWhat’s your alma mater?


I graduated from Chapman in May of 2014 with a degree in communication studies and minor in psychology.

Where did you work prior to Chapman?


I interned as the donation coordinator for The Breast Cancer Fundraiser, a nonprofit in Irvine. Then before that I interned for New Community Management, a music management company (I wanted to work in music originally). My first two years of college I worked at a Cuban bakery in Downey called Porto’s.

What’s something people might be surprised or interested to know about you?


I have three tattoos, two of which are always showing, but people usually don’t notice. I also traveled on tour with my brother for two weeks the summer of 2013. He is the drummer for a band called Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. I slept on a tour bus from Buffalo, N.Y. to Chattanooga, Tenn. He brought me to help take care of my nephew who was 1 years old at the time. I documented my adventures through Instagram using the hashtag #nannytourlife.

What do you do when you’re not working at Chapman?


I am part of a kickball league in Irvine. We have our new season starting soon if any of you are interested. I also enjoy doing chalkboard art and will often make signs for my friends’ homes, weddings and baby showers. I LOVE to travel, but sadly have not traveled much. My goal is to go to Europe soon! My all-time favorite place to visit is Yosemite. My family goes there every year in February.

What’s your favorite part about working at Chapman? When did you start working at Chapman?


Chapman has been my home for the past four years. My dad initially didn’t want me to come here because we really couldn’t afford it, but Chapman was my number one choice and we made it work. It is absolutely a dream to work here and help make it possible for other students to attend. I actually started working at Chapman my sophomore year in the Office of Admissions as a student assistant and tour guide. A month after I graduated I got hired part-time as the development coordinator for Wilkinson College and then later also worked part-time helping Tami Thompson in External Relations.

Last thoughts?


Since I’m now at the Alumni House, I feel like I don’t always get to see everyone. If anyone ever wants to grab lunch, feel free to reach out!

Benjamin Cole, web technology specialist


benjamin-cole-hawaii


Honolulu, Hawaii, where Ben Cole grew up.


Where did you grow up?


I grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii and went to the same high school that Barack Obama attended. I saw him visit the campus to say hello and play basketball twice before he became president.

What’s your alma mater?


I attended Chapman University where I studied film production and advertising, and graduated in 2012. At Chapman, I worked in Media Services, Associated Students, Student and Campus Life, and Housing & Residence Life. I also ran a club called 
The Underground Showdown
 where we made films, hosted award shows, and created opportunities for students in various creative disciplines to collaborate outside of the classroom.

benjamin-cole

The Underground Showdown
at Chapman University.


Where did you work prior to Chapman?


I have previously worked at Dreamworks Animation as a user interface/web development intern on their web applications team. That was my first “real” job as a web developer where I learned how mid-sized web teams are able to collaborate on complex web applications. I’ve also worked at a small ad agency as well. But the projects we work on at Chapman are the most fun of all the projects I’ve been able to contribute to.

What’s something people might be surprised or interested to know about you?


I volunteer every year at the 
Chapman Next Step Social Justice Retreat
 as a staff member. The goal is to facilitate learning and exploration of issues related to identity, culture, race, privilege and power, and to make both our campus and the world a more welcoming place for all.

benjamin-cole-indian-wedding


Ben with friends in India for a wedding.


What do you do when you’re not working at Chapman?


I organize a series of events on
Meetup.com
for recent college graduates and folks in their 20s in the area to meet up, hang out and create new friendships. Most interestingly, we gather about 50-75 strangers to meet up at a Corner Bakery every month for coffee and conversation… It works out surprisingly well.

I just recently went on a trip to India for a friend’s wedding. Being invited to experience the culture of India and being welcomed by my friend’s family to be a part of their wedding was the experience of a lifetime.

benjamin-cole-indian-wedding-2


A wedding celebration Ben recently attended in India.


What’s your favorite part about working at Chapman? When did you start working at Chapman?


I enjoy working in a place where the staff and faculty are generally excited to be where they are and to be doing the work that they are doing. I also enjoy the (rare) opportunities to collaborate with faculty and to learn about the works that they are doing.

Last thoughts? 


Stop using Internet Explorer. It’s not good for you or the Internet and it makes web developers like me sad on the inside. FireFox, Chrome or Safari would all be fantastic alternatives.

James Kerr

Where did you grow up?


I lived in Old Towne Orange for my childhood, then moved to Corona for high school.

james-kerrWhat’s your alma mater?


I am still an undergraduate at Chapman! I started in 2008, switched to part-time in 2010, and will graduate January 2016. There will be a large party.

Where did you work prior to Chapman?


I have worked two summers as a videographer at a summer camp called 
JH Ranch
 in Etna, California.

What’s something people might be surprised or interested to know about you?


People would be surprised to know that some of my favorite songs are of the teen-pop genre by female artists like Jessie J, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. I am also allergic to poultry, so if you sneak chicken into my food, you will have the opportunity to stab me with an EpiPen.

What do you do when you’re not working at Chapman?


I enjoy board games, soccer, surfing and reading good books. I do it for work, but I also very much enjoy writing Ruby code. You can learn it too: 
http://tryruby.org
! Traveling is awesome. I went to Israel in 2009. That was a great experience. My favorite spot was the city of Jerusalem.

What’s your favorite part about working at Chapman? When did you start working at Chapman?


I started as administrative assistant in the Law School in 2010.  I moved to the web team in 2014. The best thing about working here is looking official while driving the UA carts.

Featured image by Eviatar Bach | Wikimedia Commons