Staci Dumoski
Natalie Moser (MBA ’05) was recently elected to the Huntington Beach City Council. Prior to being elected, she served as the Chairperson of the City of Huntington Beach Human Relations Task Force.
Who was the most influential person for you at Chapman? Why?
Funny enough, the now Dean of the Argyros School of Business and Economics, Dr. Thomas Turk, was a favorite instructor of mine. Congrats on the promotion, Dr. Turk!
If you could go back in time and experience one moment again from your time at Chapman, what would it be? Is there anything that you would do differently?
I was in my mid-late 20’s during my time in the Chapman MBA program. It was a very busy time for me— I was working full time in management at Schools First Federal Credit Union, attending 3-4 MBA classes a week, and planning my wedding (which would take place out of town in Sonoma). The good news? I had seemingly endless youthful energy! The bad news? Being so busy and so focused didn’t leave much time for soaking everything in and making long lasting relationships.
I remember spending a lot of time in Beckman Hall attending classes and meeting on weekends with small groups on projects. But, it wasn’t all work and no play… I also remember heading over to O’Hara’s pub post study session with classmates.
What do you wish you knew at the time of your graduation (about life, career, family, best place for tacos, etc.) that you know now? What advice can you give to the students and/or recent graduates of today?
At the time of my graduation I thought I knew how my education would impact my future. I knew that the position I was working towards required a graduate degree/MBA and I was excited to be promoted shortly after my graduation. However, I didn’t know that my career path would diverge only a few years later. I left my career to start my own business, start a family, and eventually to become a community volunteer and public servant as an elected official of the Huntington Beach City Council.
My advice to students and recent graduates is to absorb all the knowledge you can and to make solid and long lasting relationships with classmates, teachers, and leaders on campus. Also, know that your career/life trajectory might (but probably won’t) be a straight line… and that’s ok. Put yourself out there and follow your passions even if that means that you zig zag a little or a lot. Your education, effort, connections and relationships will continue to support you as you build your life.
How did Chapman prepare you for your career? How did your experience prepare you for the real world?
Chapman helped prepare me for my career by bringing in innovative real world speakers and through group projects that were similar to team efforts in the corporate world. In addition, our professors pushed us to get out of our comfort zone and ask thoughtful questions that pushed barriers. It’s that ongoing curiosity that ultimately sets the stage for how I approach every new challenge and opportunity.
What were the most challenging social issues in our country/world that you faced as a student?
During my time at Chapman University, I was focused more on myself — my career, my education, planning my wedding, etc. I was concerned about the state of issues in the world and I paid attention to the news, but I was so busy that I didn’t really devote much time to community service.
My life these days is quite different. My days are now spent being a mom to my kids (who are now 11 and 13) and working to help the community on many issues including ending homelessness in our city, helping heal divides through civil dialogue and conversation, and by bringing responsible policy about our environment forward.
While my years at Chapman were spent setting a foundation for my future, my time now is spent working to better my community. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to use my education, experience and passion to give back and I look forward to continuing to grow my impact and ability to make the world a little better than how I found it.
If you’d like to be considered for an Alumni Spotlight, submit your news on the Alumni Class Notes webpage.
