By Kathryn Ross
Brooks Duggan earned a degree in Applied Mathematics from APU in 2019. Shortly after graduating, Duggan went on to earn his Masters in Data Analytics from Western Governors University. Today, he works as a Utilization Management Analyst at Mercy Medical Center and a Data Scientist for Dvvy, ltd.
Duggan chose the complicated yet rewarding career of mathematics and analytics because he wanted to make a difference in a part of our world that holds so much influence and control: computers. “In an age of computers and mathematics,” he notes, “I wanted to major in a field that would help me apply mathematics to the world of computers [to make them and their outcomes better]. Mathematics has helped me understand the necessity of truth and integrity within this fallen world.”
From the Christian values practiced and emphasized at APU to the stellar education he received as a student, Azusa Pacific has shaped not only how he works, but who he is as a worker and person. “APU taught me how I can be a beacon of light and an educated pillar within my field for Christ,” he says. “It helped me learn that spreading the Gospel is my primary job in life, and my field of practice is really my part time job.”
As he moves further away from his college days, Duggan is able to look back and see APU’s positive influence on his budding career: “My most meaningful experiences at APU are those when my mind was stretched,” Duggan states. “When the growing pains were hard in both my faith and my field? Those are the moments that have truly impacted my daily life.”
Considering there’s not much wiggle room for musing and personal truth in mathematics, Duggan thanks APU for preparing him to thrive in a field and with companies that are integrous and doing ethical, necessary work. “While it’s important to me to work with a company that shares my values, APU empowered me to be a difference-maker wherever I am,” he notes. “It encouraged me to get plugged into a church and reminds me to live in a Christ-like manner everywhere, whether at my job or in my community.”
When asked if he thinks he’s found and is living out his calling, Duggan answers thoughtfully: “There have been many times when I felt like I’d found my calling,” he shares. “But one that sticks out to me is when I implemented my analytic skills in my current role [at Mercy Hospital] to improve our compliance with Medicare through a report I had adjusted and audited with SQL.” Duggan emphasizes that his work will help the hospital find significant savings in fines of noncompliance that will ultimately improve patient experience as the world continues to navigate the Covid-19 Pandemic. Like many other essential workers, Duggan’s career is playing a major role in helping the world move forward.
Duggan leaves us with some final words of advice and encouragement: “Dig into what is hard; don’t run from it. Difficult things are what make life worth it spiritually, academically, and vocationally. The Lord is with you, so you are able to endure anything in this life. There are times when it seems like you can’t hear God’s direction, but that is a season of patience God is calling you into. Be patient—and be ready to move when God calls you to move.”
