Competing for His Dream Career

David Segovia ’15 (School of Business & Leadership) is one step closer to achieving his dream of working as a manager in the federal government. He’s been selected out of 6,050 applicants as one of the 808 semi-finalists in the competitive Presidential Management Fellows Program (PMF). Regent University’s Career Services pointed him toward the highly competitive opportunity, and now he is preparing for an interview in Washington, D.C. Segovia has a passion for improving processes and helping people, enhanced by the biblical integration within his Regent education.

Segovia’s PMF journey began in October, when Regent’s Career Services staff encouraged him to apply to the program. He completed the lengthy process by providing essays and evidence of proven leadership skills, demonstrating his fit for public service. The fellowship is a two-year appointment in a federal agency with opportunities to rotate positions. It provides 160 hours of interactive leadership training, challenging work assignments, and potential for promotions and career ladders.

“Once the list of semi-finalists was published, I searched it for ‘Regent’,” said Segovia. “Many of the schools listed were Ivy League. It was very humbling to find my name next to Regent.”

Segovia earned his master’s of business administration (MBA) while working full time as a supervisor at Home Depot. He said it required hard work and commitment, but he found meaning in his assignments, seeing the value it added to his education and professional career. He prospered through the challenge by sticking to a schedule and keeping disciplined.

“I did the online MBA program, even though I live down the street, because of the flexibility,” said Segovia. “It’s ranked high, and I worked full time and couldn’t go to regular classes. I met a lot of people. The technology made it easy for us to connect. We were an online community, all in the same boat. You learn peoples’ names and build friendships. It’s not disconnected, as you might think. My professors knew who I was.”

Segovia was born in El Salvador and immigrated to New York City. He says he gained an appreciation for diversity there, meeting a lot of people. This led him to take an interest in international business. After his brother joined the Navy, he moved to Virginia Beach where he met his wife Lauren, who is also a Regent graduate student. His close-knit family followed. Some also began degrees at Regent.

“I grew up Catholic, and faith was always a big part of what we do,” said Segovia. “All of the decisions that I am happy I made were based on faith. My family is close, and we support each other. We became a Regent family. I stayed in Hampton Roads, and my siblings and mother moved here. My sister also earned a master’s from Regent.”

Segovia says Regent helped him reconcile business with faith. He learned that leadership isn’t about rising above people, but rising with people, helping those around you improve and find meaning with what they do. He was reminded that business is for a bigger purpose, not just working for yourself. He encourages others to keep this in mind while working toward an MBA degree.

“You do have to make sacrifices,” advises Segovia. “But, this is not a negative thing. You can get through it and most importantly, you don’t have to compromise your principles. It all works out.”

He enjoyed his education, and is considering applying for Regent’s Doctorate of Strategic Leadership Program. He will learn in March whether he will be a participant in the PMF program.

Learn more about Regent’s School of Business & Leadership.