My Story
My name is Nathan Foster and I currently serve as the public relations manager for Azusa Pacific University in the Office of Strategic Communication and Engagement.
I’m originally from Southern California (fun fact: I was born in Beverly Hills), but spent most of my youth in Reno, NV. I attended Earl Wooster High School in Reno where I graduated in 2016 with an International Baccalaureate (IB) certificate and a GPA of 4.73. While at Wooster, I served as editor for the school newspaper, Hoofprints, and as prose editor for the school’s annual literary publication, Colt’s Tale. I also served as vice president and president of Wooster’s Leo’s club, and helped the club double in size over four years. I was also a member of Fellowship for Christian Athletes and was a four year member of Wooster’s tennis and golf team, including serving as captain for both my senior year. By the time I graduated, I had achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, holding several leadership positions in Troop 10 and completing a 100-hour volunteer project (building dog beds for the Nevada Humane Society). I committed to attend APU for college with a half-ride academic scholarship.
I graduated from APU in May 2020 with a BA in Journalism and PR and a minor in Honors Humanities. While at APU, I worked for the school newspaper, ZU News, all four years. I served as a staff writer, assistant sports editor, opinion editor, news editor, and finally editor-in-chief. I also worked at Mexicali Grill, University Relations, Starbucks, and drove for Uber during college. During my junior year, I studied away (not technically abroad) in New York City where I served as a video production intern at Newsweek. Working so many jobs while being in school full time with two majors and a minor wasn’t easy and I did'n’t get a ton of sleep, but I loved my college experience.
During my senior year at APU, I was recruited by Teach For America. Teaching had never been a part of my plans; after all, I studied journalism, not education. However, God placed it on my heart to give back by offering my skillset as a writer and leader. I felt called to accept the role of an educator and decided to go for it. TFA placed me in Nashville, TN, where I began working as a 7th grade English Language Arts teacher at McMurray Middle School. My first year of teaching was a big struggle, with the first seven months of the school year being virtual due to Covid. However, in my second year, I grew a lot as a teacher and as a person. The life of a teacher isn’t easy, but I wouldn’t trade my time with my kids for the world. I strove to make my classroom a welcoming environment where kids felt comfortable being themselves- which helped them have fun and learn a lot.
After teaching, I moved back from Nashville to Southern California to work at APU again in the same office I had interned at during college, though the name was different. As a PR Manager, I write news releases and articles to promote the university. I also help handle APU’s social media accounts, monitor the university in the news and on social media, and assist with crisis communication. I love working at APU. The community is something I missed, something you won’t find most other places. I love being able to tell stories, even if it’s from a different angle than I used to in journalism. Writing is my passion and I hope to continue to do it at a high level for a very long time.
“My rights, my wrongs, I write ‘til I’m right with God.”
-Kendrick Lamar