Kevin Wallis
Surfline
Honolulu, HI USA
"Having fun your whole life is a pretty powerful motivator."
Career Roadmap
Kevin's work combines: Action Sports, Environment & Nature, and Accomplishing Goals
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I took a chance because I knew I could learn. I had to remind myself that the worse that could happen is that I don't get the job, but if I didn't try then I would never have known.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Associate's Degree
Psychology, General
Claremont McKenna College
Bachelor's Degree
Meteorology
Mississippi State University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
He grew up over an hour away from the beach, but all he wanted to do when he grew up was live at the beach.
2.
As he went to school at Claremont McKenna University, he decided he wanted to be a lifeguard.
3.
As he got more into lifeguarding, surf forecasting kept tugging at him; he always wanted to know more about it.
4.
Got his degree in psychology, which he doesn’t use directly, but he says the writing and communication skills still help him.
5.
Says that truthfully, many nights he should’ve spent studying, he was up late looking at wave science and forecasts.
6.
When he started at Surfline, he made next to no money; says if you love something, you should be willing to work for cheap.
7.
He worked weekends, holidays, crazy hours, but he stuck with it because he loved it—and he could still surf in his free time.
8.
Seventeen years later, he says if he could tell his teenage self what his future job would be, young him would be “stoked!”
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Myself:
I don't know enough to get this job.
How I responded:
I took a chance because I knew I could learn. I had to remind myself that the worse that could happen is that I don't get the job, but if I didn't try then I would never have known.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I was not enthusiastic about school, I preferred to be outdoors and playing sports. So I found a career path that let me do both.