College students have busy schedules full of classes, jobs, study sessions, homework, and extracurriculars, but college is also a great place for students to lean into new hobbies and passions outside of the classroom. Brandon Hook ’12 studied English at Azusa Pacific University in order to hone his writing craft, better understand storytelling, and follow his curiosity. By combining his passions for travel, music, movies, and stories, Hook used his time at APU to build a foundation of creativity rooted in empathy and curiosity.
Originally from Wisconsin, Hook was drawn to APU because of its small, welcoming Christian community and its location in California. While taking a journalism class, Hook discovered a love for storytelling and interacting with people. He had planned to study journalism, but he switched his major to English which allowed him to hone his writing craft in classes that satisfied his interest in learning while having opportunities to study abroad and continue to put time into deepening his understanding of the value of storytelling.
During his time at APU, Hook participated in three study away programs: High Sierra, South Africa, and Oxford. “The first time I took the strengths finders test was in college, and my two strongest traits were learning and empathy,” Hook said. “Those ended up being recurring themes in my life, and they’re what drew me to study abroad.” At High Sierra, Hook studied humanities, philosophy, art, history, and the Bible. “It was the first time I discovered the pursuit of knowledge as a calling and way to use our unique gifts to worship the Lord,” he said. Hook had also purchased a camera to document his first study abroad experience and found a love for photography that turned into a passion for visual storytelling. He continued to take photos in South Africa and serve others by connecting with locals, and his time in Oxford only strengthened his pursuit of knowledge on a variety of subjects.
In his poetry and creativity classes at Oxford, Hook became fascinated with the creative process. “My poetry class was one of the first times I felt empowered and understood in the creative process,” he said. “It was about showing up and continuously editing rough drafts. It was an impactful experience to see how everyone can be creative in different ways, and I brought those ideas back to class with me and reinforced them in my senior seminar class about creativity with Diana Glyer, PhD.”
After graduation, Hook spent a year in Washington D.C. working for Sojourners, a nonprofit organization that integrates faith with social justice. He managed their website, newsletters, graphic designs, social media, photography, and journalism publications. Working on their blog posts enabled him to get press credentials at events, so Hook attended over 25 concerts while working for the organization.
Inspired by the way his Biblical studies classes presented new methods of engaging with and understanding God and other people and ready to make his idea of being a lifelong learner a reality, Hook attended Fuller Theological Seminary where he earned an MA in theology. “The program helped me understand how stories and design shape people and culture and how seemingly mundane experiences like listening to music or watching a movie can help people connect to spirituality.” Once again, Hook saw how learning and creativity could be an act of worshipping God. His MA program left him with more questions than answers, but he was content to sit with the ambiguity and share the ideas that had impacted him so profoundly with others.
Hook has worked for a multitude of well known companies. He helped raise $3.4 billion for groundbreaking scientific research, and as the art director at the California Institute of Technology, he translated complex ideas into visual stories alongside scientists consulting with Marvel, working on the Mars Rover, and leading research on AI, quantum physics and sustainability, among others. Transitioning to user experience (UX) design, Hook worked on the National Football League’s (NFL) new streaming platform. He has been able to turn each of his creative passions into a successful career where he can continue to learn through curiosity and grow with empathy.
Hook was recently promoted to senior UX designer at Amazon where he analyzes and improves how people discover and enjoy music and entertainment through Amazon Alexa. “My curiosity, empathy, and storytelling skills allow me to make complex things accessible, engaging, and meaningful for others,” he said. “Whether it’s about science, concerts, faith, or social justice, helping others learn and experience joy has been an act of worship and sharing God’s love that brings me a sense of fulfillment when I design products and brands.”
Having started as a journalism major with a love for people but much uncertainty about the future, Hook never expected to have found so many things that he could passionately incorporate into his work. “The seeds of curiosity, empathy, and storytelling were in my experiences at APU, and it’s exciting to progress to working for companies at the forefront of technology and entertainment,” he said. “In hindsight, everything makes sense, but my past self was just following his curiosity, and now I get to design digital products for millions of people.”