1,981 Seconds with Parkview Alum – Jordy Barksdale ‘08

Jordy Barksdale ’08 serves as Guest Experience Senior Manager for Magnolia in Waco, Texas. Recently, Jordy sat down with us for an interview.

What’s it like to be a Baton Rouge guy living in Waco, Texas?

I love being from Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge is unique and distinctive in many ways especially in food, culture and celebrations. Trying to explain Mardi Gras to people in Texas is hilarious. They do not really understand what it is and why Louisianans love it.

How did you end up in in Waco at Magnolia working with Chip and Joanna Gaines?

After finishing my internship at Duke, I went to work at Pine Cove and then at the Brook Hill School. I liked living in Tyler but had a strong feeling that the Lord was calling me to move to Waco. Two friends invited me to live with them in Waco and I started applying for jobs but nothing was working out.  A friend from Baton Rouge who recently worked for Chip and Joanna recommended I apply for a position at Magnolia. I did. They didn’t hire me for that position, but instead created a position for me! I have been here for almost 6 years now.

What does a Guest Experience Senior Manager do?

My job is to create experiences and ensure our guests enjoy their visit to Magnolia! Our goal is to go above and beyond in making every visit memorable and meaningful. This starts when we onboard our team members and continues with our training. I also serve as the emcee for all concerts and internal events.

Tell me about your time at Parkview.

Parkview is where I found the Lord and began to truly follow him because of what I learned at school. Mrs. Pruitt’s bible class taught me how to teach the bible to others. I was the kid who liked chapel and then I ended planning chapel when I worked at Brook Hill.

Parkview student life was great. Going and supporting classmates at events was a given. The question wasn’t, “Are we going?”. The question was, “Who is driving?”

Taking Mrs. Kaiser’s class my senior year taught me so much about public speaking that I still use today! Performing in the spring musicals helped me overcome a stutter. I really loved my time at Parkview and I thrived. I am still in contact with my friends from Parkview and there is a group of us who still get together every year.