Name: Diana (Schall) Tyndall
Graduation Year: 2003
Major: Broadcasting
Current Position: Marketing and Sponsorship Coordinator for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board
City and State: Springfield, MO
Tell us about your career and what you do now.
I am the marketing and sponsorship coordinator for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board. I plan and place the marketing and advertising, strategize future campaigns and needs, secure corporate sponsorships, network with the community, and an array of other things like taking photos, post and respond to social media, etc. Before parks, I spent 12 years in radio creating marketing campaigns and strategies for local businesses. I have a BA in Communications with an Emphasis in Broadcasting from Evangel University. I’ve lived in Springfield for 19 years with my husband of 12 years, two crazy boys, two cats, and a dog….and I love our parks!
What is your favorite memory from Evangel?
I have lots of great memories of Evangel. I met great people. But one of my favorites was being a part of the Skinny Improv. It started at Evangel with Jeff Jenkins. We had many shows on the weekends in the auditorium and would pack the house. It was so fun being on stage. We laughed a lot! I was one of the original members and learned so much from the others in that crew. I also have enjoyable memories living in the campus dorms and working late nights in the old TV studio barracks.
How did Evangel help you identify/develop your calling?
When I first arrived on campus, I thought I wanted to be a nurse (because my father was in the medical field) and so did one other student. I was very unprepared, not knowing all that would go into majoring in that field. After tears and a reality check from my dad, he suggested I go into the communications field, which was the best advice! I found my calling in being a communicator. The professors were fantastic in giving me a wide variety of experience. From the technical website coding classes to on-air television experience, I was grateful to learn lots in the communications field. What I initially thought I wanted wasn’t what God had planned for me. God has continued to guide and direct me through my career and life. Additionally, counseling with my advisor (Shirley Shedd) was instrumental, she was the one who looked at my credits and class schedule and said I could finish in 3 yrs. instead of 4 yrs., and I did! Without her foresight, I wouldn’t have ever thought I could do it. But I was up for the challenge. And did it!
How did your experience at Evangel prepare you for life after graduation?
While I was at Evangel, I was a DJ on KECC (Evangel’s campus radio station). It was a hoot and only my friends listened, but it made me preplan what I would say over the air. That transitioned to paid part-time on-air job as a DJ at a local radio station, which then landed me a full-time job in sales. And to this day I still use much of what I learned even though I’m not on-air. Evangel gave me the hands-on experience to what it would be like to be in that field.
What advice would you give a current student preparing for the workforce?
Find a good mentor and listen to them. Have a good attitude. No one wants to hire a know-it-all. Be humble and kind. Gain all the experience you can from the real world. Maybe it means volunteering, working part-time in that field, or even asking an alumnus in that field to grab a cup of coffee or lunch so you can see what you can learn from them. Be a sponge and soak up what information they share. Then, filter that through prayer and God’s Word and he will give you direction. Lastly, don’t go into the world thinking you’ll get your dream job right away. I’m not suggesting you lower your expectations, but you need to be realistic. Take every job you do seriously, do it with your whole heart, and learn from it.
What would you look for if you were in a position to hire new graduates from Evangel?
I look for someone who is self-motivated, teachable, and has a great attitude.