More than a decade ago, Erin Thorp ’96, MA ’13 was bouncing ideas around as she sought a career change. While pondering where God was calling her, she said to her husband, “I really want to be at a place where I believe so strongly in the mission of the institution, a place like Azusa Pacific.” As an alumna of APU, Thorp experienced spiritual, personal, and professional transformation throughout her undergraduate years. The vibrant community and Christ-centered environment drew her back as a staff member, and Thorp has moved up to serving as the interim director of the Center for Career and Community-Engaged Learning (CCEL).
Thorp has lived in Southern California her entire life. She became a Christian in high school and strove to deepen her faith in college. “APU was the only school I applied to because I was so excited to attend,” she said. In 1992, she began studying liberal studies with an emphasis in math. She fondly recalls broadening her perspective about faith and life through her theology and philosophy classes.
After graduating, Thorp earned a multiple subject credential from Cal Poly Pomona and was a teacher for many years. She then worked for global outreach ministries, stirring her interest in intercultural education. In 2009, Thorp learned about a position in APU’s Center for Global Learning and Engagement (now CCEL), and she’s found fulfillment ever since.
CCEL is an academic department that oversees all of APU’s career development services, including academic service learning, community advancement programs, study abroad programs, and the newly added job location development program. “The common denominator of everything held in CCEL is experiential learning, which is about allowing students to develop beyond the classroom,” Thorp said. Her hope is that students connect with CCEL all throughout their academic journeys at APU in order to strengthen their career skills, learn about resumes and job applications, and discover opportunities to engage in transformative experiences.
Thorp’s favorite aspect of her job is getting to interact with students, providing them with the resources to contribute their knowledge and skills into the community. “I love being a part of raising up the next generation of Christian leaders in a variety of disciplines,” she said. From the student workers she greets everyday in the CCEL office, to the ones who make their first appointment to learn about studying abroad, Thorp thoroughly enjoys working in a space with students who are eager to learn.
Outside of work, Thorp values spending time with her husband and three daughters. They often go camping and hiking together, bonding over their mutual love for appreciating God’s creation.
Throughout Thorp’s life, she has noticed her greatest impact has been when she serves the Lord in all she does. “It’s so important to live for God’s purpose, and it’s such an honor and joy to be a part of that at APU,” she said. For Thorp, enriching students’ lives is about more than distributing resources and equipping them with the tools they need. Rather, it comes down to uplifting each student’s story and leading them closer to their calling in the same way Thorp discovered hers.