Alumni Newsletter

Pepperdine Alumni Traveled to Scotland

This August, the beautiful city of Edinburgh, Scotland was enjoyed by many Pepperdine alumni, students, faculty, and staff. At the Fringe Festival, an inspiring celebration of the best art and entertainment from around the world, students and alumni performed in two shows. The Abode, written by Scottish playwright Davey Anderson, produced by Alex Fthenakis, Edinburgh program alumnus and 2008 graduate, and directed by theater professor Cathy Thomas Grant, explored the depths of contemporary extremism in the United States. The Antiscians, written by 2013 alumnus Ryan Napier, is a mesmerizing rendering of grief, desire, and the strengths of our diversity. The all Pepperdine alumni cast had performed the Fringe First Award-winning production, Why Do You Stand There in the Rain?, in 2012 with fellow Pepperdine students.

Pepperdine alumni attended both performances which took place in the historic Edinburgh locations of Cowgate and the Royal Terrace. They also enjoyed exploring Edinburgh's Royal Mile, the Edinburgh Castle, Princes Street, taking in other Fringe Festival performances, and attending the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. They also enjoyed eating together at local eateries, trying haggis, learning about the Scots language, and gazing at beautiful art at the National Galleries of Scotland. It was a joy to experience this special city together in support of theatrical and storytelling talents of members of the Pepperdine family.

 

Madison Leonard ('14) Wins Prestigious Award

Leonard was recently named as one of the five winners of the Metropolitan Opera National Council (MONC) Auditions, one of the most prestigious competitions in opera.

The MONC Auditions, established in 1954, is a program designed to discover promising young opera singers and assist in the development of their careers. The MONC Auditions feature competition at the district, regional and national levels throughout the US and Canada, and each level is judged by a panel of representatives from the Metropolitan Opera. Winners from the national level of the competition are awarded a trip to New York City, where they compete in the Grand Finals Concert on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera.

Read more. 

Distinguished Alumni Award Recipient Sara Young Jackson ('74)

Sara Young Jackson ('74) was the 2018 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. She had the honor of speaking at Seaver Commencement on Saturday, April 28 to the Class of 2018 on Alumni Park. She shared her Pepperdine story and challenged the new graduates to "go out every day and do some good."

Read more. 

President Andrew K. Benton to Conclude Presidency in 2019

Pepperdine University president and chief executive officer Andrew K. Benton has announced his intent to conclude his presidency at the end of the 2018–2019 academic year. In a prepared statement to the University community, Benton said he and his wife have decided it is a good time for a change and that he has asked the Board of Regents to begin the process for selecting a new president.

"This is a significant change that, while difficult, we believe comes at just the right time - for Pepperdine, for our students, and for us," said Benton. "As president, I have always tried to make the hardest institutional decisions from a position of strength, and because of the talent and passion of our people throughout the last several decades, I can confidently say that Pepperdine has never been stronger academically, spiritually, and financially."

Read more at the Pepperdine Newsroom. 

Seattle Career Trek

The Seaver College Career Center and Graziadio Career Management Center hosted Pepperdine's first ever joint career trek to Seattle. 30 students (13 undergrad and 17 graduate) traveled to Seattle, WA for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the headquarters of Microsoft, Amazon, T-Mobile, and Starbucks. During the two day "trek", students had the opportunity to hear from alumni about their experience and ask questions concerning career paths and professional opportunities. Seaver Board of Visitor emeritus, Steve Loring, hosted a lunch for the students to welcome them to the city and the Seattle Waves Alumni Chapter catered a networking mixer to connect students to local Pepperdine graduates.

For more information and to get involved in planning future treks to your area, contact Seaver Career Center's Director of Strategic Employer Partnerships, Ryan Goves at ryan.groves@pepperdine.edu. 

Joseph Maddalena ('84) Preserving Hollywood

Profiles in History founder, Joseph Maddalena ('84) is a self proclaimed man who "saved Hollywood." A plethora of Guinness Book of World Records for original motion picture memorabilia broken and being a former star on Syfy Show, Hollywood Treasure," are accomplishments that can speak for themselves.

Read his story by Seaver student, Kirstin Vartan, here. 

 

Graduation Luncheon - Alumni Volunteers - Saturday, April 28

Celebrate with the new graduates and welcome them into the alumni family by giving them a special alumni pin and words of encouragement. Make sure to select the free "Volunteer" ticket on the registration page.

Learn more and register HERE.