After receiving a liberal arts education, Christendom graduates are prepared for any career, especially sales. Alumni Luke Borrajo ‘22 and Nicholas Ward ‘25 were welcomed back to campus this month to talk with students about their experience working in sales during a “Life on Tap” event hosted by the college’s Office of Career and Professional Development. Moderated by Director of Career and Professional Development Kristin Stephens, the conversation provided an inside perspective at their work and how they prepared for it while still pursuing their college degrees.
Luke Borrajo ‘22 majored in philosophy and is currently a sales manager at Roofsimple in Front Royal, selling one of the most critical components to life – a roof overhead. In 2024, he won the Golden Door Award for being one of the top 1% of door-to-door salesmen in the country. He is married to Erin (Deighan) and has one son.
Nicholas Ward ‘25 also got his degree in philosophy. During school breaks, Nicholas prepared for his career in sales by working for a land wholesaling start-up and by completing two sales internships with Kelly Generator & Equipment. He returned there after graduation and handles service contract sales for VA and parts of MD. He lives in NOVA with his wife Monica (LaFramboise) and they have a baby on the way.
The alumni began the event by talking about how they began working in sales and explaining their day-to-day work, as well as the differences between various kinds of sales. Later in their conversation, they outlined the details of being a 1099 contractor, managing taxes, and profit sharing.
Both alumni encouraged the students to have confidence that their skills will enable them to succeed in the field of their choice.
“The important thing for us, as Catholics, to remember is that we’re not just selling a product, we’re selling these things that people need, or businesses need,” Borrajo told students. “You have to do that in a clear, articulate, communicative way, you have to be a good problem-solver, a good analytical thinker, which all of you have the talents to do based off of the education you have received.”
The two men also reminded students to see these skills as a way to develop both personally and professionally, emphasizing how these essential abilities translate to aspects of life beyond just working in sales.
“Sales and life are more based on the way that we communicate and articulate ourselves to people, and growing in that skill is essential to your growth as a person,” Borrajo told students.
Ward also recommended shadowing or interning in a sales position to get a sense of the work and better understand whether to pursue it as a career. Both Borrajo and Ward urged the students to be enthusiastic about their career and to be eager to work hard and witness to Christ through their work.
“There is nothing wrong with being ambitious to be a good disciple through doing your work well,” Borrajo said, with Ward adding, “Don’t sell yourself short. If you’re going to be a missionary, go do it and do it well and praise God. If you want to do really well in sales and support great things and support your family, just go do it.”
For those interested in pursuing a sales career, the alumni recommended using one’s time at Christendom to develop excellent communication skills, to network, and to learn even from small opportunities engaging with the community to prepare for work in sales.
Borrajo and Ward demonstrate that Christendom alumni don’t need a field-specific degree to develop a successful career, even in the sales industry. The Christendom education, complete with a balance of academic and social opportunities, allows students to develop organizational skills, the ability to multitask, and exemplary written and spoken communication—an excellent foundation for success in any area of work. These alumni’s success in sales is a testament to the strength of the Christendom experience in equipping its students for any career path they choose to pursue, regardless of their major.
Just before concluding, the alumni advised students to explore multiple career options and to utilize the alumni network to learn everything they could about a prospective career.
“Don’t be afraid to reach out to alumni that have gone before you and really delve into what you want to do,” said Ward.
The event concluded with a Q&A where students asked the alumni questions related to negotiating job offers, preparing for a sales career while in college, the hardest aspects of working in sales, and more.
Christendom’s Career and Professional Development Office offers opportunities to hear from alumni at Life on Tap at least three times a semester. In addition, students are given regular chances to attend relevant career workshops, meet with future employers, secure summer internships, and explore a plethora of career paths before they’ve even declared a major. With the support of the Career and Professional Development Office and an excellent liberal arts education, there is no career path rendered impossible with a degree from Christendom.
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Contributed by Bridget Palm ’28.