Nathan and April Devlin

Quick Facts

Programs: B.S. in Business Administration and Master of Public Administration
Graduation Years: April: 2008 and 2014
Nathan: 2011 and 2014
Current City: Riverside, CA
Current Job Titles: Realtors and business owners at Devlin Realty and Devlin Property Management

Life at CBU

Why did you choose CBU?
We both attended CBU through the Online and Professional Studies (OPS) program a bit later in life than the typical college student. We both attended junior college while working full-time in emergency medicine as EMTs on a 911 response ambulance. We met while working at a local ambulance company. Although it was not love at first sight, it took some time for us to become friends. We were friends for about two years, began dating in December of 2002, got engaged and married in April 2004. 

We both always wanted to continue our education, and the faith-based foundation as well as the smaller class format that CBU offers enticed us. So after we were married, we devised a plan to allow us to pursue our degrees. April was first attending classes in the evenings through the OPS program. She graduated in 2008 with her bachelor's degree in business. Nathan then began his undergrad program, also through the OPS program, and graduated in 2011 with his bachelor's in business; he also studied for and passed his real estate exam at the same time.  

Shortly after our son was born in 2012, we decided that we wanted to pursue our master's degrees, but this time together and simultaneously! Again, we studied through the OPS program via an employee cohort. We were both working full time and had a baby at home. We graduated in 2014 with our Master in Public Administration with a concentration in strategic innovation.

How did you grow (spiritually, socially, educationally) while in this program at CBU?
Each time we embarked on a journey and finished at CBU, the ceremonial walk past the Kugel was like God telling us, "Keep going. You're going to finish strong. I am with you." We always heard the phrase "Live Your Purpose," but what that purpose was/is was revealed to us during our master's program. We both believe that our education at CBU was much more than the books we read and the papers we wrote. We learned to support others through difficult times in life, like when April's grandma passed during our comprehensive finals. We learned how to prioritize those things in life that are important to us: faith, family and serving others. We learned how to use our God-given gifts to help others. 

What did you think about your professors?
During our journey, each of our professors was always available, supportive and poured into us, undoubtedly impacting our lives forever, serving as role models and helping us become the professors we are today.  

Life after CBU

What have you done since graduating?
In 2014, we started our entrepreneurial journey by jumping head-first into real estate as a side job and eventually as our full-time business. We are fourth-generation family business owners. We own and operate Devlin Realty and Devlin Property Management, located in Riverside, CA. Our real estate career taught us that real estate is much more than buying and selling properties. It is walking through all the seasons of life with people and all the moments in between. Some seasons are the best (getting married, having a child, buying their first home, retiring, etc.), and others are the most difficult (losing spouses, parents and grandparents, losing jobs, divorce, etc.). Regardless of where people are in life, we want to walk with them and help them. Having a safe haven is an essential part of life, so we partner with our clients to help them navigate the process of home ownership. Focusing on people first and properties second has allowed us to share our faith and educate and guide our clients. As a result, we become their life-long trusted advisors, often spanning multiple generations. The trust of our clients means everything and has allowed us to become one of the top 500 realtors in the Inland Empire this last year and earn the excellence in client service award for the past two years.

We strive to be a steady constant for our clients long after their transaction closes — our relationship does not end when escrow closes and we deliver keys.  

How are you making a difference in the world? How are you living your purpose?
We do our best to Live Our Purpose each day by walking in faith, raising our children to be Christians, serving as an example for others and supporting our clients and Premier Partners in business and life. We have a dedicated team of vendors, our Premier Partners, or our village, as we call them. We are fortunate to call them friends as well. We believe that when we eat, everybody in our village eats, we are a team, and without them, we would not be able to do what we do. 

The ability to run our brokerage and coordinate our schedules allows us to wear many hats. We are regular volunteers at our children's school and with our church, The Grove. In addition, Nathan serves as a youth soccer coach, coaching our children's teams. We are both adjunct professors at CBU in the Jabs School of Business, with Nathan teaching real estate courses and April teaching business, management, marketing and social media courses.

We are proud that our children are also learning to serve others. Our son, Cooper (10), took it upon himself to sign both himself and his dad up for the Hammertime Ministry at our church — he is the youngest member of the team by at least 20 years, but what he lacks in age he makes up for with hard work and humor. Nathan and Cooper enjoy volunteering as part of the team that helps church members in need with repairs and projects around their homes, from leaking toilets to hauling landscaping debris. 

April volunteers in the Placemakers ministry. This ministry partners with The Path of Life to help transition people from homelessness to their own homes. The Placemakers set up and decorate the new homes because having necessities and a home that reflects their style and personalities helps make it a home and not just another temporary place to stay. Our whole family often helps with these projects. Nathan and Cooper put together furniture with other volunteers, and our daughter, Carlee (6), loves to help with organization and decor. It is an incredible honor to be a part of "the home reveal" and to watch as people breathe a sigh of relief, knowing they are safe and home. Equally, seeing our children take so much pride in giving to others and giving back brings us indescribable joy and fulfillment as parents.  

What are your future goals and plans?
Our future goals and plans include continuing with our work in real estate, education and volunteering. We also plan to grow our brokerage in both size and location. We want to continue positively impacting homelessness in our community — we believe everyone deserves a home, a safe haven where they can breathe knowing they are home. Our dream is to build tiny homes dedicated to the mission of Placemakers and to grow those homes into a small village community with activities and amenities that allow the residents to learn, grow, love and help each other.