Adela Antal ’16: Then God Said, “Wait” Adela Antal spent her last Messiah College semester studying strategic communication in Washington D.C. with the American Studies Program. After graduating in May 2016 with a degree in communication, Antal planned on heading back to D.C. to continue working in the city. “However, it is very, very tough to break into the D.C. job market,” says Antal. “I was lucky enough to get a few interviews there, but after spending the entire summer waiting to hear back from D.C. people, I realized that it is not worth going to D.C. right now. “ Even in the midst of disappointment, Antal believed that God still controlled the pieces in her life. “I simply remained faithful and optimistic knowing that, ‘Everything works for the good of those who love God, and are called according to His purpose.’ (Romans 8:28).” After interviewing with the Webstaurant store, a world supplier of restaurant equipment, Antal decided to join the team as a Customer Solutions Specialist. Webstaurant doesn’t own any physical store locations, so all customer service links through Antal’s department. “My day is basically just talking to customers and coming up with resolutions for them all day,” says Antal. “We have certain goals to meet per day in regards to how many customers we talk to. Efficiency is key.” If a customer calls with a complaint about a product or service, Antal listens and creates solutions. The classes Antal took as student equipped her for these busy days of speaking, writing and listening. “The PR and comm classes taught me the essential writing skills needed to be a successful and respected professional in the work place,” she notes. Antal also relies on her college experience as a reminder to stay motivated, work towards specific goals and balance life with a lens of optimism. This positive outlook helps Antal truly enjoy her job at Webstaurant. “I realized that although God has a plan for each of us, we need to maintain a balance between trusting Him, yet still taking matters into our own hands,” says Antal. “I think God silenced all those D.C. people who never got back to me for a greater purpose.” - Miriam Thurber ‘19