Inspire, Summer 2011

school in Ohio that wasn’t far from Cummins that they weren’t recruiting from, and that had a strong engineering program,” Chris explained. Andy asked Chris if he would be willing to lead the recruiting efforts for Cummins at Cedarville. Chris took the challenge to heart and received approval to participate in one of Cedarville’s career fairs, where potential employers come to campus to meet and interview students for internships and job openings. “They were very welcoming to us,” said Andy, “and Chris, through his connection with the professors, had them walk around and show us the classrooms and the shop where they do all the Society of Automotive Engineers projects. They really opened up the doors for us.” Recruiting Students to Cummins The career fair proved successful, as Cummins made job offers and received acceptances. The Cummins-Cedarville connection snowballed from there. Since 2008, more than a dozen grads have either worked with Cummins or received offers. One such student was Nate McLeese ’09. As an eager student seeking employment, Nate made it around to all the company booths at the fair but made a strong connection with Cummins. “The fact that Chris Byus had a lot to do with Cummins recruiting at Cedarville absolutely excites me,” said Nate. “It’s great to know that an engineer like Chris can make such an impact on so many lives. Not only are we working at a great company, but we are also spreading out to new territory, sowing the Word of God.” Nate is confident that when alumni keep the Cedarville connection in mind, they can have a big influence and create a powerful network. Nate’s wife, Catherine (Shanks) ’09, was also recently hired at Cummins. “Catherine and I have gone through the process of looking for an employer on our own, and it’s tough,” Nate said. “It is clear to us that networking makes it much easier to find a job.” Opening Doors to Opportunities Having directly benefitted from the power of networking, Nate is motivated to help others in the same capacity. “Because Chris has had such an influence in helping grow the relationship between Cummins and Cedarville,” he said, “all of us alumni here at Cummins are willing to do what we can to help this relationship grow. I know firsthand how much Chris has made an impact.” Joshua Brown ’11 is one of the most recent Cedarville grads to accept a job at Cummins. He made the connection through the career fair and began working at Cummins this summer in the high horsepower division. “I think this is one of the greatest things about being part of the Cedarville community,” he said. “People are always working hard to help others and provide opportunities for students.” When asked about his influential networking role, Chris stays humble and says he put very little effort into it. Once the ball started rolling, it really took off. “I’m surprised at how well it worked,” he admitted. “It’s very rewarding and very cool to be able to provide jobs for Cedarville students. I still feel that strong connection.” The Cummins-Cedarville story is a bold example of the Cedarville connection in action. Chris points out how easy it is to network and help grads find good jobs. He also believes that more alumni can strengthen the network if they just “think Cedarville” when their companies are looking for new candidates. And, if more grads take simple steps like Chris did to keep the Cedarville connection in mind, the network will only grow stronger. Chris Byus ’08 is a senior application engineer at Cummins, Inc. He lives in Columbus, Indiana, with his wife, Grace. You may contact him at cgbyus@gmail.com. Brian Orme ’96 is a freelance journalist and the editor of churchleaders.com. His articles have been published in The Washington Times , The Arizona Republic , Relevant Magazine , and other online and print outlets. Brian lives in Troy, Ohio, with his wife, Jenna (Crowe) ’96, and their four boys. You may contact him at brian@churchleaders.com. The networking initiative Chris Byus ’08 started prompted Cummins to begin recruiting at Cedarville. Twelve engineering alumni are now on staff. Outside the Cummins corporate office building in Columbus, Indiana, left to right: Hanna Bowes ’11, Steven Small ’11, Scott Bardakjy ’10, Joshua Brown ’11, Dustin Winchester ’10, Chris Byus, Nate McLeese ’09, Catherine (Shanks) McLeese ’09, Jill Conway ’11. Not pictured: Ryan Hokuf ’10, Jesse Magnuson ’03, Andrew Yoakam ’10. “ More alumni can strengthen the network if they just ‘think Cedarville’ when their companies are looking for new candidates.” CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY 23