Alumni Spotlight - Eric Stoen ('93)
Current City: Ojai, California
Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Graduation Year: 1993
Major: Political Science
Occupation: Travel Babbo
Why did you choose to attend Pepperdine?
I applied to several small liberal arts colleges. When I visited the Malibu campus,
it felt like a perfect fit. And I was ready for a change of scenery from Colorado.
What is the most important thing you learned while at Pepperdine?
That the world is small, and accessible.
What is your favorite college memory?
Studying in Florence for my sophomore year. And that was before the internet and cell
phones, so we were largely isolated for a year. Mail and faxes and the occasional
phone call (on the villa pay phone) were everything! I wouldn't change a thing.
Describe your career path.
I was in healthcare for eighteen years, but never had a passion for it. Then I won
Conde Nast Traveler's Photo of the Year contest, went to New York, visited the Conde
Nast offices, and realized that I would be far happier working in travel than in healthcare.
A year or so later I quit my job and started a travel website and social media accounts,
and before I knew it I was getting paid to travel around the world with my kids. And
yes - it's so much more fun than healthcare!
What advice do you have for students who want to make the most out of their experience
at Pepperdine?
Study abroad!
What is your greatest professional accomplishment as of now?
I've been quoted several times in the New York Times, Forbes magazine named me the
4th most influential traveler in the world, and now, coming full circle, I've photographed
on assignment for Conde Nast Traveler.
How did your time at Pepperdine prepare you for what you are doing today?
Pepperdine's Florence program opened my eyes to the world and started my lifetime
love of travel.
What is something people may not know about you?
I met my wife at Pepperdine, but a year after I graduated. She and I never crossed
paths when we were studying there at the same time.
When you give back to Pepperdine, which fund do you choose to support and why?
I support the international programs! Florence is my favorite (I've gone back to Florence
25+ times since sophomore year and I visit the house there, and Elizabeth, often),
but also Heidelberg, where I studied for a semester after my junior year.