Alumni Spotlight

Pepperdine philosophy majors have impressive records. Many have entered careers right after graduation, doing everything from working in advertising and mortgage consulting and the music industry, to teaching in disadvantaged areas, to flying F-16s. Others have been admitted to graduate and professional programs, including Ph.D. programs in philosophy, medical schools, dental schools, law schools, and divinity schools at universities such as Cambridge, Harvard, Oxford, Princeton, Stanford, and Yale. As undergraduates, Pepperdine philosophy students also have published in distinguished journals, including Philosophia, Faith and Philosophy, and History of Philosophy Quarterly. Here are some recent graduates.

Philosophy Alumni Spotlights

Lauren Chivers

Lauren Chivers, a philosophy major from San Jose, California, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2023.  She was accepted to and offered funding by American University Washington College of Law, Brooklyn Law School, Fordham University School of Law, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law, Tulane University School of Law, University of California College of the Law at San Francisco, University of Oregon School of Law, University of San Francisco School of Law, and University of Washington School of Law, and she entered the latter in the fall of 2023.  While at Pepperdine, she served as an editor for Pepperdine’s undergraduate journal, Global Tides, and was active in the sustainability club.  Her main philosophical interests are in environmental philosophy, philosophy of gender, and aesthetics.

Fransheska Companioni-Daroch

Fransheska Companioni-Daroch, a philosophy major from Las Vegas, Nevada, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2023.  She was accepted to and offered scholarships by New York Law School and the law schools at Drexel University, Loyola Marymount University, St. Thomas University, and Suffolk University, and she entered law school at Loyola Marymount in the fall of 2023.  While at Pepperdine, she received a Blanche E. Seaver Faculty Scholarship, a debate scholarship, an international program scholarship, a KWVS Radio Communication Scholarship, a philosophy scholarship, a Rosemary Lokey Raitt Endowed Scholarship, and a Social Sciences Divisional Scholarship.  She also was involved in debate, mock trial, and KWVS Radio.  Her main philosophical interests are in existentialism, philosophy of mind, metaphysics, and ethics.

Brendan LeBlanc

Brendan LeBlanc, a computer science / philosophy major from Gilroy, California, graduated in the spring of 2023 and joined Tesla’s robot team, where he trained the A.I. used by their human-sized robots.  While he was at Pepperdine, he became a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, worked as a teaching assistant and research assistant, presented work at an undergraduate academic conference, and was awarded a Keck research scholarship that funded his research during the 2022-2023 academic year.  The area of philosophy that interests him most is ethics.

Yuezhang Yao 

Yuezhang Yao, a philosophy major from Shanghai, China, graduated in the spring of 2023 and began working for the United Nations Environment Programme in Geneva.  While at Pepperdine, he was President of the Chinese Student and Scholar Association.  The area of philosophy that interests him most is ethics.

Jackson Felkins 

Jackson Felkins, a philosophy major from Southlake, Texas, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2022. He was accepted to the M.A. programs in bioethics at Case Western Reserve, Columbia, Duke, University of Pennsylvania, and Wake Forest and received scholarship offers from almost all of them, in addition to receiving a prestigious West Coast Conference Postgraduate Scholarship. In the fall of 2022, he entered the program at University of Pennsylvania before heading to medical school. While at Pepperdine, he served as a research assistant and a teaching assistant and was captain of the cross-country team and track team. His main philosophical interests are in ethics and the philosophy of love.

Bryan Beltran

Bryan Beltran, a philosophy major from Laguna Hills, California, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2022 and, the following fall, entered the M.Div. program at Harvard Divinity School. Besides that program, he was accepted to the M.A. programs in philosophy at Northern Illinois University and University of Houston and to the M.Div. programs at Duke Divinity and Princeton Theological Seminary. While at Pepperdine, he worked as a teaching assistant and was an associate editor for Pepperdine’s undergraduate journal, Global Tides. The main areas of philosophy that interest him are epistemology, ethics, and philosophy of religion.

Drake Trent

Drake Trent, a philosophy major from Carlsbad, California, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2022.  In 2023, after working for a year as a clerk for the criminal department of the Contra Costa County Superior Court and being guaranteed a judicial internship there for when finished his first year of law school, he was admitted to and offered funding by the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law and University of California College of the Law at San Francisco, and he entered the latter in the fall.  While at Pepperdine, he was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta pre-law fraternity.  His main philosophical interests are in phenomenology and philosophy of mind.

Julianne Carter

Julianne Carter, a philosophy major from Hidden Valley Lake, California, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2022. In the fall of 2022, she entered law school at Pepperdine with a Dean’s Merit Scholarship. As an undergraduate, she received the Blanche E. Seaver faculty scholarship and worked as a research assistant. Her main areas of philosophical interest are ancient philosophy, philosophy of religion, and ethics.

Xinye Wang

Xinye Wang, a philosophy major from China, graduated in the spring of 2022. In the fall of 2022, she began her work toward an M.P.A. at University of Southern California, after attending a summer program in international policy action at Peking University. In her senior year at Pepperdine, she studied at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. Her areas of interest in philosophy include logic, modern philosophy, and philosophy of religion.

Bradford Holladay

Bradford Holladay, a philosophy major from Nashville, Tennessee, graduated in the spring of 2022.  In August of 2022, he became a District Executive for the Middle Tennessee Council of the Boy Scouts of America.  As an undergraduate, he served as philanthropy chair for the fraternity Psi Upsilon.  He also studied abroad in Shanghai, China and served as the Shanghai Ambassador upon his return.  In his spare time, he led camping trips as Pepperdine’s outdoor trip leader.  Bradford’s main philosophical interests are in philosophy of mind and aesthetics.

Raymond Rider

Raymond Rider, a philosophy major from Lubbock, Texas, graduated in the spring of 2022.  In the summer of 2022, he accepted a teaching position at All Saints Episcopal School in Lubbock.  While at Pepperdine, he was the executive editor for a couple of years for the philosophy and religion department for Pepperdine’s undergraduate journal, Global Tides. His main philosophical interests are in the history of philosophy, especially ancient philosophy, and ethics, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion.

Bryce Pattillo

Bryce Pattillo, a philosophy major from Thousand Oaks, California, graduated in the fall of 2021 and entered University of North Texas Osteopathic School of Medicine in the fall of 2023.  While at Pepperdine, he made the Dean’s list.  The area of philosophy that interests him most is ancient philosophy.

Shaylaan Savani 

Shaylaan Savani, a philosophy major from Nairobi, Kenya, graduated in the fall of 2021 and went to work for a packaging company in Kenya. His main philosophical interests are in metaphysics.

Montgomery Brown 

Monte Brown, a philosophy major from Roswell, New Mexico, graduated in the spring of 2022 and went to work as the head of collaborations for a pickleball company startup, planning to return to school ultimately to earn an M.A. and become a teacher. His main area of philosophical interest is ethics.

SongYue Xuan

SongYue Xuan, a philosophy major from Beijing, China, graduated in the spring of 2021 and worked for a while as an analyst for a law firm. In the fall of 2022, she entered the M.A. program in bioethics at New York University. Besides that program, she was admitted to the M.A. program in philosophy at Boston College and the M.P.A. program at University of Southern California. The areas of philosophy that interest her the most are ethics, feminist philosophy, and epistemology.

Braden Ritchey

Braden Ritchey, a philosophy major from Shallowater, Texas, graduated in the spring of 2021 and, in the fall of 2022, entered the M.A. program in philosophy with extensive funding at Loyola Marymount University. While at Pepperdine, he worked as a research assistant, and he served as an editor and reviewer for Pepperdine’s undergraduate journal, Global Tides. He has philosophical interests in a wide range of areas: metaphysics, philosophy of mind, logic, philosophy of gender, philosophy of love, ancient philosophy, and modern philosophy.

Hexiong Yang

Hexiong Yang, a philosophy major from Hebei, China, graduated in the summer of 2021 and, in the fall of 2022, entered the M.A. program in anthropology at The Chinese University in Hong Kong. While at Pepperdine, he served as a staff writer for Pepperdine’s undergraduate newspaper, The Graphic. His main philosophical interests involve ethics, environmental philosophy, and Marxism.

Naomi Cuyugan

Naomi Cuyugan, a philosophy major from San Francisco graduated cum laude in the spring of 2021. She was accepted to the law schools at Arizona State University, Brigham Young University, Pepperdine, University of Alabama, University of California at Davis, University of California at Hastings, University of California at Irvine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Iowa, and University of Wisconsin at Madison, and she was offered funding by most of them. After working for a law firm and participating in the selective Advance Program at Arizona State, she entered the law school at Arizona State in the fall of 2022. The areas of philosophy that interest her most are philosophy of religion, epistemology, and metaphysics.

Grace Ramsey

Grace Ramsey, a philosophy major from Arlington, Texas, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2021.  In the summer of 2021, Grace entered law school at Pepperdine, with funding, to earn a J.D. along with an M.D.R. (Master of Dispute Resolution). While at Pepperdine, Grace was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and the communication honor society Lambda Pi Eta.  Grace’s main interests in philosophy are in philosophy of religion, philosophy of mind, and ethics.

Liz Hiles

Liz Hiles, a philosophy major from Fort Worth, Texas, graduated in the spring of 2021.  The following fall, she entered law school with funding at Southern Methodist University.  Her main philosophical interests are in ethics and ancient philosophy.

Emma Thomasson

Emma Thomasson, a philosophy major from Waco, Texas, graduated in the spring of 2021.  She was accepted to the clinical psychology M.A. program at Pepperdine’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology and to the marriage and family therapy M.A. program at Syracuse, and she entered the program at Pepperdine in the summer of 2021.  Emma’s main philosophical interests are in ethics and philosophy of love.

Joel Cox

Joel Cox, a philosophy major from Newbury Park, California, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2021.  After graduating, Joel began served for two years in Indianapolis with Teach for America. Afterward he was accepted to the M.A. programs in philosophy at Northern Illinois University and Indiana University - Purdue University at Indianapolis and the Ph.D. program in philosophy at Saint Louis University, and he entered the program at Saint Louis University in the fall of 2023. While at Pepperdine, he worked as a teaching assistant; served as associate editor for Pepperdine’s undergraduate journal, Global Tides; and was inducted into the philosophy honors society Phi Sigma Tau and the history honors society Phi Alpha Theta.  His main areas of interest in philosophy are ethics, philosophy of religion, and political philosophy.

Justin Meza

Justin Meza, a philosophy major from Mojave, California, graduated in the spring of 2021.  After finishing his teaching credential with funding in Pepperdine’s student teaching program, he began a career teaching high school social studies.  While at Pepperdine, he was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau.  His main areas of philosophical interest are philosophy of religion, ethics, and epistemology.

Jake Leshinksky

Jake Leshinsky, a computer science / philosophy major who was born in Belgium, graduated in the spring of 2021 and began working as a business intelligence analyst at Meta (Facebook) under Accenture’s consulting partnership, focusing on supply chain, business strategy, and data center operations.  His main philosophical interests are in philosophy of religion, ancient philosophy, and ethics.

Nethmi D'Alwis

Nethmi D'Alwis, a computer science / philosophy major from Cerritos, California and Sri Lanka, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2021 and accepted a position as a Technical Program Manager in Cybersecurity for Amazon Web Services in New York City. Nethmi’s main areas of interest in philosophy are ethics, metaphysics, and ancient philosophy.

Colby Parry

Colby Parry, a philosophy major from Beaufort, South Carolina, graduated in the spring of 2021. After then working for a while as a sales recruiter for a solar company in Utah, he returned to California and took a position as a regional corporate recruiter for commercial integration companies. The areas of philosophy that interest him the most are metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics.

Jordan Stratton

Jordan Stratton, a philosophy major from Huntington Beach, California, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2021 and accepted a position in the discovery rep program at Synnex, an I.T. distribution company based in South Carolina.  He plans ultimately to earn an M.A. and become a teacher.  While at Pepperdine, he received the Blanche E. Seaver Faculty Scholarship and the Tyler Trust End Scholarship.  His main areas of interest in philosophy are philosophy of religion and ethics.

Preston Gromer

Preston Gromer, a philosophy major from Casper, Wyoming, graduated in the spring of 2021.  Before applying to law school, he accepted a legal assistance position at an energy solutions company in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Besides that position, he was offered a job as a staffer for the U.S. Senate and a position as a caseworker with the Wyoming state government.  Preston’s main area of interest in philosophy is ethics.

Fernanda Alvarez

Fernanda Alvarez, a philosophy major from Mexico City, Mexico, graduated in the fall of 2020. She was offered a position as the branding coordinator for Saatchi & Saatchi and later became the social media manager and marketing coordinator for Nick Fouquet, a Venice, California high fashion brand. While at Pepperdine, Fernanda worked for a year and a half as the social media director for Pepperdine’s Weisman Museum and was chair of public relations for Kappa Kappa Gamma. Her main philosophical interests are in ancient philosophy, logic, and environmental philosophy.

Joaquin Gigy

After graduating in the spring of 2021, Joaquin Gigy, a philosophy major from Buenos Aires, Argentina, took a position as an account manager for Food Technology Srl in Buenos Aires. The areas of philosophy that interest him the most are metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of religion, and ethics.

Cori Persinger

Cori Persinger, a philosophy major from Kansas City, Missouri, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2020.  She was accepted to the M.A. programs in philosophy at Colorado State University, Northern Illinois University, University of Montana, and University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and received offers of funding for most of them.  She spent a year teaching in Mexico, after receiving a Fulbright award, and then entered the program at Colorado State in the fall of 2021.  While at Pepperdine, she was on the Dean’s List, served as a teaching assistant and research assistant, and was on the West Coast Conference All-Academic First Team.  Her main philosophical interests are in Latin American philosophy, environmental philosophy, metaethics, epistemology, and continental philosophy.

Brittany Bryant

Brittany Bryant, a philosophy major from Washington, D.C., graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2020.  She was accepted with funding to the Ph.D. program in philosophy at University of California at Santa Barbara and to the M.A. programs in philosophy at Northern Illinois University and Tufts University, and she entered the program at Tufts in the fall of 2020.  While at Pepperdine, she served as a research assistant, a teaching assistant, and an editor for Pepperdine’s undergraduate journal, Global Tides, and she was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and the Golden Key International Honour Society.  Her main philosophical interests are in ethics and metaethics.

Cameron Casenhiser

Cameron Casenhiser, a philosophy major from Orange, California, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2020.  In the fall of 2021, after working for a year as a professional in the coffee industry, he entered the M.Litt. program in philosophy at St. Andrews.  He received a scholarship and was accepted for graduate study also at University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow.  Cameron’s main philosophical interests are in metaethics, ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of language.

Caleb Hobbs

Caleb Hobbs, a philosophy major from McKinney, Texas, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2020.  He was accepted to the M.A. programs in philosophy at Brandeis, Northern Illinois University, and Virginia Tech, and he entered the program at Northern Illinois in the fall of 2020. He then entered the Ph.D. program in philosophy at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall of 2023. While at Pepperdine, he served as an editor for Pepperdine’s undergraduate journal, Global Tides.  His main philosophical interests are in epistemology, ethics, and action theory.

Evan Henderson

Evan Henderson, a philosophy major from Omaha, Nebraska, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2020.  He was accepted to law school at Arizona State University, Columbia, Duke, Georgetown, New York University, Northwestern, University of Chicago, and Washington University in St. Louis, and he received offers for extensive funding from many of those schools.  In the fall of 2021, he entered law school at Georgetown in its Blume Public Interest Scholars Program.  While at Pepperdine, he made the Dean’s List, and he published an op-ed in Yala Press.  His main areas of philosophical interest are metaphysics and political philosophy.

Marissa Guilmain

Marissa Guilmain, a philosophy major from Ellington, Connecticut, graduated in the spring of 2020 and entered law school at Western New England Law in the fall of 2020, planning to pursue a career in local government. Her main areas of philosophical interest are aesthetics and ethics.

Sergio Caraveo

Sergio Caraveo, a philosophy major from Las Vegas, Nevada and South Gate, California, graduated in the spring of 2020.  After working for a while in business, in 2023 he was admitted to and offered funding by Capital University Law School, University of Idaho College of Law at Boise, and Western State College of Law, and he entered the latter in the fall of 2023.  Sergio’s main areas of philosophical interest are business ethics, ancient philosophy, and medieval philosophy.

Jordan St. Germain

Jordan St. Germain, a philosophy major from Mesa, Arizona, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2020 and accepted a position as a financial paraplanner for Ameriprise Financial.  While at Pepperdine, she was on the Dean’s List for three semesters.  Her main areas of philosophical interests are metaphysics, environmental ethics, and epistemology.

Gabriella Yu

Gabby Yu, a philosophy major from Shandong, China, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2020.  After working for a while at Pepperdine’s Office of International Student Services, in 2022 she became Manager of Data and Analytics for Seaver College.  As an undergraduate at Pepperdine, she was on the Dean’s list; she served as an editor for Pepperdine’s undergraduate journal, Global Tides; she attended the Summer Seminar in Philosophy at University of Colorado at Boulder; and she presented a paper at the Seaver Showcase as part of the Inauguration of President Jim Gash.  Gabby’s main interests in philosophy are in applied ethics, epistemology, and philosophy of mind.

James Moore

James Moore, a philosophy major from Dorset, Vermont, graduated in the spring of 2020 and worked in marketing for a few years in Austin, Texas before joining a consulting firm there, Thinktiv. While at Pepperdine, he was the news editor for Pepperdine’s undergraduate newspaper, The Graphic. His main areas of philosophical interest are ancient philosophy and epistemology.

Andrew Sterling

Andrew Sterling, a philosophy major from Houston, Texas, graduated in the fall of 2019.  In the summer of 2023, a week after completing a three-year M.P.P. in cybersecurity at The University of Texas at Dallas, he accepted a position as a flight controller at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.  The area of philosophy that interests him most is epistemology.

Jared Lee

in memoriam

Jared Lee, a philosophy major from Danville, California, graduated magna cum laude in the fall of 2019. After receiving an M.D.R. (Master of Dispute Resolution) from the Straus Institute at Pepperdine’s law school, which he attended with funding, he served for a time as a mediator in Hawaii before becoming an ombuds at University of California at Irvine. While at Pepperdine, he worked as a research assistant, and he was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, the Golden Key Honour Society, and the economics honor society Omicron Delta Epsilon. The areas of philosophy that interested him the most are ethics, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion.

Skye Uldrich

Skye Uldrich, a philosophy major and Regent Scholar from Tucson, Arizona and Kansas City, Missouri, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2019.  In the fall of 2020, after working for a year for a tech startup, he entered the M.A. program in philosophy at Tufts University.  His main philosophical interests are in metaethics, aesthetics, and philosophy of religion.

Will Perrin

Will Perrin, a philosophy major from Lubbock, Texas, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2019. He was accepted to and offered funding by the M.A. programs in philosophy at Western Michigan University and Northern Illinois University. In the fall of 2019, he entered the program at Northern Illinois University. After completing his M.A., he entered the Ph.D. program in philosophy at Georgetown University in the fall of 2021. While a student at Pepperdine, Will was on the Dean's List, was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, presented a paper at an academic conference, served as a research assistant, and helped to edit Pepperdine's undergraduate journal, Global Tides. His main philosophical interests are in metaethics, epistemology, philosophy of religion, logic, and aesthetics.

Harrison Meads

Harrison Meads, a philosophy major from New Plymouth, New Zealand, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2019.  After working for a year as an escrow assistant, he entered law school at Pepperdine in the fall of 2021. Besides the law school at Pepperdine, he was accepted to the law schools at Loyola Marymount University and University of California at Irvine.  Harrison’s main philosophical interests are in ethics, philosophy of mind, and ancient philosophy.

 Matthew Garcia

Matthew Garcia, a philosophy major from Camarillo, California, graduated in the spring of 2019. He was accepted to New England School of Law, Vermont Law School, and Widener University Commonwealth Law, and to the law schools at Northern Illinois University, Suffolk University, University of Baltimore, Western New England University, and Willamette University. In the fall of 2019, he entered New England School of Law with funding. Matthew's main areas of philosophical interest are epistemology and modern philosophy.

Matthew Albaugh

After graduating in the spring of 2019, Matt Albaugh, a philosophy major from West Des Moines, Iowa, worked for a year for an insurance brokerage and then, in the fall of 2020, entered the M.A. program in psychology at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine.  As an undergraduate at Pepperdine, he served as a research assistant.  His main areas of philosophical interest are political philosophy, ethics, and modern philosophy.

Jilani Ghafur

Jilani Ghafur, a philosophy major from Los Angeles, California, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2019. Planning on a career in television and film production and development, in the summer of 2019 he began working for Paradigm Talent Agency in Beverly Hills, one of the top agencies of its kind in the world. While at Pepperdine, he was at Morgan Freeman's production company, Revelations Entertainment. Jilani's main philosophical interests are in aesthetics and modern philosophy.

Lily Spirtos

Lily Spirtos, a philosophy major from Northridge, California, graduated in the spring of 2019 and became the public relations coordinator for Brown + Dutch Public Relations, a firm in Malibu.  In 2021, she entered the M.A. program in philosophy at Loyola Marymount University.  While at Pepperdine, she had a political podcast through KWVS radio and was the political reporter for NewsWaves 32.  Her main areas of philosophical interest are political theory and ethics.

Taylor Griest

After graduating cum laude in the spring of 2019, Taylor Griest, a philosophy major from Jackson, Wyoming, began working for an environmental non-profit organization in St. Paul, Minnesota. While at Pepperdine, she made the Dean’s List and was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. The areas of philosophy that interest her the most are ethics and aesthetics.

Jacob Zimbelman

Jacob Zimbelman, a philosophy major from Phoenix, Arizona, graduated in the spring of 2018. In the fall of 2018, he entered the M.A. program in philosophy at Northern Illinois University with funding. While at Pepperdine, he served as a teaching assistant, he attended the Summer Seminar in Philosophy at University of Colorado at Boulder, he was president of the philosophy club, and he was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. His main philosophical interests are in metaethics, applied ethics, and epistemology.

Lake Lomax

Lake Lomax, a philosophy major from Columbia, Tennessee, graduated in the spring of 2018 and, after working for a while in cancer research, entered medical school at Lincoln Memorial University in the fall of 2021. The areas of philosophy that interest him the most are ethics, metaphysics, and ancient philosophy.

Jenelle Kral

Jenelle Kral, a philosophy major from Longview, Texas, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2018. She was accepted to the law schools at University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Houston, University of Richmond, and University of Tennessee, and she received scholarship offers at several of these schools. In the fall of 2018, she entered law school at University of Houston. While at Pepperdine, she was the religion and philosophy editor for Pepperdine's undergraduate journal, Global Tides. Her main areas of philosophical interest are philosophy of religion and action theory.

Amy Sohlberg

Amy Sohlberg, a philosophy major from Lake Oswego, Oregon, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2018. After holding various positions, including that a legal assistant at a law firm, she entered law school at Lewis and Clark College in the fall of 2021. At Pepperdine, she was a Regent Scholar and Pepperdine National Merit Scholar and served as an editor for Pepperdine’s undergraduate journal, Global Tides. The areas of philosophy that interest her the most are ethics and political philosophy.

Jon Sargsyan

Jon Sargsyan, a philosophy major from Glendale, California, graduated magna cum laude in the fall of 2018 and entered law school at Pepperdine in the fall of 2019.  While an undergraduate, he was inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society and the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau.  His main areas of philosophical interest are ethics and political philosophy.

Nona Mitoyan

Nona Mitoyan, a philosophy major from Glendale, California, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2018.  After working for a year as the head of marketing and strategic initiatives for a tech startup, she applied and was accepted to UC Hastings College of Law and to the law schools at Loyola University and University of Nevada at Las Vegas, and she entered law school at Loyola with a scholarship in the fall of 2019.  While at Pepperdine, she received a certificate in conflict management from Pepperdine’s Straus Institute, was president of the Armenian student association, was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, joined Phi Delta Society of Scholars, and was part of the pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta.  Her main areas of philosophical interest are philosophy of religion, ethics, and epistemology.

Melanie Greer 

Melanie Greer, a philosophy major from Kingston, Massachusetts, graduated in the spring of 2018. he was accepted to the law school at Pepperdine, Charleston School of Law, and the law school at University of Mississippi. She entered law school at Ole Miss in the fall of 2019. Her main philosophical interests are in logic, feminist ethics, aesthetics, and metaphysics.

Chris Lee

Chris Lee, a philosophy major from Shoreline, Washington, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2018. He was accepted to Loyola Law School and to the law schools at Gonzaga University, Pepperdine, Seattle University, and University of Washington, and he received scholarship offers from several of those schools. In the fall of 2018, he entered law school at University of Washington. Chris' main philosophical interests are in ethics, philosophy of religion, and political theory.

Megan Jordan

Megan Jordan, a philosophy major from Los Angeles, California, graduated in the spring of 2018. She was accepted to New York Law School and Southwestern Law School and, in the fall of 2018, entered Southwestern. Her main philosophical interests are in ethics and metaphysics.

 Bret Boatwright

Bret Boatwright, a philosophy major from Coronado, California, graduated in the spring of 2018. He was accepted to the Psy.D. programs at John F. Kennedy University and Yeshiva University, and he entered the program at Yeshiva with funding in the fall of 2018. At Pepperdine, he made the Dean's List and served as a research assistant. Bret's main philosophical interests involve existentialism, personal identity, philosophy of religion, metaphysics, and Eastern philosophy.

Gathenji Njoroge

Gathenji Njoroge, a philosophy major from Bakersfield, California, graduated in the spring of 2018. He was accepted with funding to the public health M.A. programs at Boston University, Emory University, Tulane University, University of California at Berkeley, and University of Michigan. In the fall of 2018, he entered the program at Berkeley, planning ultimately to attend medical school and work as a pediatric neurosurgeon both domestically and in medically-underserved countries. At Pepperdine, he was a Regent Scholar; he made the Dean's List; he received the Great Books Platonic Scholar award; he was inducted into the Hispanic honor society Sigma Delta Pi; he served as a research assistant, a teaching assistant, and a resident advisor; he played on the Pepperdine rugby team; he helped to edit Pepperdine's student newspaper, the Graphic; and he was active in Pepperdine's chapter of the American Medical Student Association and was a member of the Student Health Advisory Board. Gathenji's main philosophical interests are in epistemology, ancient philosophy, metaphysics, ethics, and philosophy of mind.

Madison Edwards

Maddie Edwards, a philosophy major from Bakersfield, California, graduated in the spring of 2018 and, in the fall of 2018, entered the M.A. program in clinical psychology at Pepperdine's Graduate School of Education and Psychology. At Pepperdine, she received various scholarships, was active in the sorority Tri Delta, and served as a Spiritual Life Advisor. Her main philosophical interests are in epistemology, ethics, and philosophy of religion.

Christopher Sanderson

Chris Sanderson, a philosophy major from Buffalo, New York, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2018. He was accepted to the M.S.W. programs at University of Michigan and University of Pennsylvania and, in the fall of 2019, entered the program at University of Michigan with funding. While at Pepperdine, he served as a research assistant, he received the Faculty-Staff Scholarship, and he was inducted into the Golden Key Honor Society and the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. His main philosophical interests are in philosophy of religion.

Michaela Meyer

Michaela Meyer, a philosophy major from Lynnwood, Washington, graduated in the spring of 2018.  In 2019, she entered the Columbia Publishing Course at Oxford University, planning on a career in publishing. At Pepperdine, she was a Regent Scholar, was inducted into the honor societies Sigma Tau Delta and Phi Sigma Tau, was the senior editor for Pepperdine’s undergraduate journal, Global Tides, and helped to edit Pepperdine’s undergraduate newspaper, the Graphic.  Her main philosophical interests involve ethics, artificial intelligence, and philosophy of love.

Chase Mendoza

After graduating magna cum laude in the fall of 2017, Chase Mendoza, a philosophy major from Irvine, California, taught at Archway Classical Academy in Scottsdale, Arizona and then at Chandler Preparatory Academy in Chandler, Arizona and completed his M.A. in humanities at University of Dallas. In the fall of 2023, he entered the Ph.D. program in political science at University of Notre Dame. While at Pepperdine, he made the Dean's List, was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, and presented a paper at an academic conference. Chase's main philosophical interests are in phenomenology, ethics, political philosophy, critical theory, and existentialism.

Caitlin Quisenberry

Caitlin Quisenberry, a philosophy major from Denver, Colorado, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2018.  Caitlin is an actress, best known for her roles in the ABC sitcom Blackish and a number of national commercials, and before applying to law school she took a year off to pursue acting full time and to compete in the Miss Colorado pageant.  She then launched a career in country music, was picked up by Country Music Television, and released an album that earned her recognition as Off the Row magazine’s Artist of the Year in 2020. While at Pepperdine, she was a Seaver Scholar, was on the Dean’s List, was active in Kappa Kappa Gamma, received numerous scholarships and Kappa Kappa Gamma’s highest academic award, performed in Pepperdine’s chamber choir, sang solo performances at a Pepperdine Bible Lectures concert, served as a host at Songfest, and was Pepperdine’s president of the Golden Key International Honour Society. Caitlin’s main philosophical interests are in ethics, logic, philosophy of love, and ancient philosophy.

Alexander Corwin

Alex Corwin, a philosophy major from Pasadena, California, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2018. While preparing for graduate school, he began working in commercial real estate and film production. Medical ethics is the area of philosophy that interests him most.

 Grant McCutchen

Grant McCutchen, a philosophy major from Shoreline, Washington, graduated in the spring of 2018 with plans to pursue a career as a professional artist. Before applying to M.F.A. programs, he attended artist residencies at the Tyler School of Art and Vermont Studio Center. His main philosophical interests are in ancient philosophy and aesthetics.

Michael Burton

Michael Burton, a philosophy major and Seaver Scholar from Miamisburg, Ohio, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2017. He was accepted to and offered funding by the Ph.D. programs in philosophy at The University of Texas at Austin, University of Arizona, and Yale University. He entered Yale in the fall of 2017, as a member of the tenth cohort of Lilly Graduate Fellows. While at Pepperdine, he was on the Pepperdine rugby team, was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, was president of the philosophy club, and participated in the classics club, the economics club, and Veritas club. He took part twice in Pepperdine's Summer Undergraduate Research Program, studied in London for a semester, and in 2016 attended the Summer Seminar in Philosophy at University of Colorado at Boulder. His main philosophical interests are the metaphysics of space, time, and motion, the philosophy of logic, and the philosophy of mathematics.

Ben Keoseyan

Ben Keoseyan, a philosophy minor from Charlotte, North Carolina, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2017. He was accepted to and offered funding by the M.A. programs in philosophy at Georgia State University and Northern Illinois University, and was admitted to KU Leuven and Boston College, where he was offered the Lonergan scholarship. After completing his M.A. at Northern Illinois, he entered the Ph.D. program in philosophy at University of Arizona to study ancient philosophy. While at Pepperdine, Ben was the principal trumpet in the symphony orchestra and wind ensemble, and lead trumpet in the jazz ensemble. He served as president of the Poetry Society, led club convocations about Christian art and patristic theology, and participated in two Academic Year Undergraduate Research Initiatives. In the summer of 2017, he accepted a fellowship to study ancient Greek at University of California at Berkeley, and in the fall of 2017 he entered the M.A. program in philosophy at Northern Illinois University. His primary philosophical interests are in ancient philosophy, ethics, and aesthetics.

Alex Free

Alex Free, a philosophy major from Caldwell, Idaho, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2017. She was accepted to the M.A. program in aesthetics and politics at California Institute of the Arts and the M.A. program in philosophy at The New School for Social Research. She entered the program CalArts in the fall of 2018. She was offered a scholarship at the New School and received a scholarship at CalArts. While at Pepperdine, Alex worked as a research assistant. Her main philosophical interests are in critical theory and aesthetics, among other areas.

Kyle Morgan

Kyle Morgan, a philosophy major from Quincy, California, graduated in the spring of 2017 and, in the fall of 2017, entered the M.A. program in philosophy at Oklahoma State University with full funding and with plans to pursue a career in either philosophy or math education. Besides Oklahoma State, Kyle was accepted also to the M.A. program in philosophy at University of Houston. While at Pepperdine, he was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. His main philosophical interests are in epistemology, philosophy of mind, and metaphysics.

Stewart Harrison

Stewart Harrison, a philosophy major from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, graduated in the spring of 2017. In the fall of 2018, he entered the M.A. program in philosophy at University of California at Davis. While at Pepperdine, he received an independent research award, worked as a research assistant and a teaching assistant, and participated in an Academic Year Undergraduate Research Initiative. His main philosophical interests are in philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, and epistemology.

Talea Stashin

Talea Stashin, a philosophy major from Portland, Oregon, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2017. She was offered a full-time position in corporate development at PennyMac Loan Services and was accepted to and offered funding by the law schools at Arizona State University, Boston College, Boston University, Emory, George Washington University, Indiana University, Notre Dame, University of California at Davis, and University of Washington. She entered law school at Notre Dame in the fall of 2017, planning ultimately to practice corporate finance law. The summer before entering law school, she worked with Ambrose Law Group; and afterward she worked part-time at Pacific Residential Mortgage. While at Pepperdine, she received the Blanche E. Seaver Faculty Scholarship; she made Dean's List; and she was Vice President of finance and a member of Golden Key International Honor Society. Her main philosophical interests are in ethics.

Abigail Van Horn

Abigail Van Horn, a philosophy major from Atlanta, Georgia, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2017. Before applying to law school, she worked as Client Relations Coordinator and Assistant to the Managing Shareholder at Pfeiffer Law Corporation in Santa Monica, California. She was accepted to and offered funding by the law schools at Boston College, Emory University, George Washington University, Michigan State University, Pepperdine, and University of Georgia, and she entered law school at Emory in the fall of 2018. As an undergraduate at Pepperdine, she helped edit the student newspaper, the Graphic, she was a Listening Summit Diplomat, and she was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. Abigail's main philosophical interests are in ethics and epistemology. 

Jordan Buckwald

Jordan Buckwald, a philosophy major from Flagstaff, Arizona, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2017 and, in the fall of 2017, entered law school at Arizona State University with full funding. At Pepperdine, she was an NCAA Scholar Athlete and was on the Dean's List and the West Coast Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll. Her main philosophical interests are in ethics, philosophy of religion, and metaphysics.

Skyler Allen

Skyler Allen, a philosophy major from Redondo Beach, California, graduated in the spring of 2017. In the fall of 2017, he entered law school at Pepperdine with a Dean's Merit Scholarship. His main philosophical interests are in ethics and philosophy of religion.

McReynolds Sommers

McReynolds Sommers, a philosophy major from Colorado Springs, Colorado, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2017 and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in Brazil in 2018. In the summer of 2017, he interned for his U.S. Senator before leaving for Brazil. While at Pepperdine, he was on the Dean's List, received a faculty scholarship and a Regent scholarship, and was a resident advisor. His main philosophical interests are in ethics, philosophy of religion, and political theory.

Siliang Gong

Siliang Gong, a philosophy major from Shanghai, China, graduated in the summer of 2017. He was accepted to the M.A. programs in public policy at Brown University, Cornell University, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Southern California, and he entered the program at Brown in the fall of 2017. In the fall of 2018, he entered the M.A. program in philosophy at Boston College. His main philosophical interests are in ancient philosophy, ethics, epistemology, and philosophy of religion.

Mallorie Urban

Mallorie Urban, a philosophy major from Wallingford, Connecticut, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2017. She was accepted to the M.D.R. (Master of Dispute Resolution) program at Pepperdine's Straus Institute and to the law schools at Columbia University, New York University, University of Chicago, and Stanford University, and she enrolled at Stanford in the fall of 2018. Before applying to law school, she served as an intern for International Justice Mission in Washington, D.C. While at Pepperdine, she was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and was the social science editor for the undergraduate journal Global Tides. Her main philosophical interests are in epistemology, philosophy of religion, and action theory.

Callaghan McDonough

Callaghan McDonough, a philosophy major from Dana Point, California, graduated summa cum laude and as a salutatorian in the spring of 2017. He was accepted to the dental schools at UCLA and University of Southern California and entered the latter in the fall of 2019. While at Pepperdine, he served as a research assistant and a teaching assistant; he was an associate editor for Pepperdine's undergraduate journal, Global Tides; he was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and into the Golden Key International Honour Society; he published five papers in undergraduate journals; he was a member of Pepperdine's improv troupe; and he was a speaker at Seaver's 2017 commencement ceremony. Callaghan's main philosophical interests are in philosophy of religion and ethics.

Alexandra Sagona

Alexandra Sagona, a philosophy major from Las Vegas, Nevada, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2017 and, in the fall of 2018, entered Loyola Law. Before applying to law school, she took a position as a conservation and advocacy program specialist with California Waterless Concepts. While at Pepperdine, she was inducted into the honor society Sigma Tau Delta and became a member of the American Christian Honor Society for Academics. Her main philosophical interests are in ethics and philosophy of religion.

Yazmin Alnadawi

After graduating in the spring of 2017, Yazmin Alnadawi, a philosophy major from Rancho Cucamonga, California, took a position as a business account executive for AT&T. While at Pepperdine, she was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. Her main philosophical interests are in political philosophy and aesthetics.

Alina Matsuda

Alina Matsuda, a philosophy major from Irvine, California, graduated in the spring of 2017. Before applying to M.Div. programs, she served as an event manager for the Mar Vista Art Department, and as an event producer for the social-good company The Good Weekend, working with mission-driven brands and nonprofit organizations. Her main philosophical interests are in epistemology and ancient philosophy.

Chris Dengler

Chris Dengler, a philosophy major from Queen Creek, Arizona, graduated summa cum laude in the fall of 2015. In the fall of 2016, he entered the Ph.D. program in philosophy at University of Colorado at Boulder with full funding. While at Pepperdine, he worked as a research assistant. His main philosophical interests are in aesthetics, political philosophy, philosophy of religion, and ethics.

Sarah Woods

Sarah Woods, a philosophy major from Newport Beach, California, graduated in the spring of 2016 and, in the fall of 2016, entered law school at Chapman University. Besides Chapman, she was accepted to the law schools also at Santa Clara University, University of the Pacific, and University of San Francisco. While at Pepperdine, Sarah was active as a vocalist in the music department and participated heavily in Panhellenic affairs on campus. Her main philosophical interests are in ethics, metaphysics, and existentialism.

Mumbi Mkandawire

Mumbi Mkandawire, a philosophy major from Lusaka, Zambia, graduated in the spring of 2016 and began an internship at the New York headquarters of the United Nations Population Fund, hoping later to enter the International Energy program at Sciences Po's Paris School of International Affairs and ultimately to work in development consultancy for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Mumbi's main philosophical interests are in logic, political philosophy, modern philosophy, and philosophy of mind.

Alison Darnell

Alison Darnell, a philosophy major from Kingsport, Tennessee, graduated in the spring of 2016. Before pursuing an M.B.A., she took a position working for the Los Angeles Lakers in their community relations department. While at Pepperdine, she was a research assistant, was Chair of the American Enterprise Institute Executive Council, and interned in the U.S. Senate and for the Washington Nationals baseball team. Her main interests are in ethics, political philosophy, and philosophy of religion.

Landon Hobbs

Landon Hobbs, a philosophy major from McKinney, Texas, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2015. He was accepted to and offered funding by the Ph.D. programs in philosophy at Brown, Stanford, University of Pittsburgh, and University of Toronto, and he was also admitted to the B.Phil. program at Oxford. He entered Stanford in the fall of 2015. While at Pepperdine, he learned Italian, sharpened his Latin, and became fluent in ancient Greek. He also participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program, received the Humanities Divisional Scholarship, served on the Academic Integrity Committee, was the treasurer for Pepperdine's philosophy club, was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, and cofounded the Pepperdine Classics club. His main philosophical interests are in ancient philosophy, medieval philosophy, ethics, and metaphysics.

Anna Brinkerhoff

Anna Brinkerhoff, a philosophy major from Auburn, Alabama, graduated summa cum laude and as a valedictorian in the spring of 2015. She was accepted to and offered funding by the Ph.D. programs in philosophy at Baylor, Brown, Duke, Fordham, Notre Dame, Purdue, Rochester, Saint Louis University, University of Colorado at Boulder, and University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She entered Brown in the fall of 2015. At Pepperdine, she was on the Dean's List, received the Humanities Divisional Scholarship and funding from the philosophy program, was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and the Golden Key International Honor Society, published two philosophical essays, presented a paper at a philosophy conference, served as an external reviewer for the undergraduate philosophy journal Stance, and participated in the Summer Program for Women in Philosophy at University of California at San Diego. Her main philosophical interests are in epistemology, philosophy of religion, and ethics.

Jonathan Wilson

Jonathan Wilson, a philosophy minor from San Diego, California, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2015. He was accepted to the M.A. programs in philosophy at California State University at Los Angeles, City University of New York, and San Francisco State University. In the fall of 2017 he entered the M.A. program at City University of New York, and in the fall of 2019 he entered the Ph.D. program there. He is a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and the English honor society Sigma Tau Delta. His main philosophical interests involve epistemology, philosophy of mind, philosophy of art, and skepticism.

Peter Creech

Peter Creech, from Nantucket, Massachusetts, majored in philosophy and graduated in the spring of 2015. In the fall of 2015, he entered the top-ranked M.B.A. program at Babson College. Once he graduates from Babson, he plans to grow the company that his mother started, Peter Beaton Hat Studio. As a student at Pepperdine, he was fully funded by the G.I. Bill, having served for four years in the Coast Guard, stationed on a 270' Coast Guard Cutter out of Portsmouth, Virginia. While at Pepperdine, he worked as a research assistant, was vice president of the rugby club, and ran his own business on Nantucket, Pete & Pete's Raw Bars. His main philosophical interests are in theoretical ethics, business ethics, and philosophy of religion.

Dena Tartt

Dena Tartt, a philosophy major from Riverside, California, graduated in the spring of 2015. The following fall, she entered the M.A. program in education at University of California at Riverside with funding and with the plan of ultimately teaching high school mathematics. Her main philosophical interests are in ethics, philosophy of religion, and logic.

Alexandria Harris

Alexandria Harris, a philosophy major from Mission Viejo, California, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2015. Before entering law school, she served in the program Teach for America, teaching middle school in Houston, Texas. While at Pepperdine she was a UCLA Law Fellow, and in 2018 she was accepted to UCLA's law school. Her main philosophical interests are in ethics and political philosophy.

Austin McElrath

Austin McElrath, a philosophy major from Long Beach, California, graduated in the spring of 2015 and became Assistant Operations Manager at APM Terminals in Los Angeles. While a student at Pepperdine, Austin served as a teaching assistant, and he participated in the C. S. Lewis Institute summer program at Oxford and Cambridge. He also was a member of the rugby team that won the West Coast Cup in their 2014 national semifinal run. His main philosophical interests are in applied ethics, philosophy of religion, and political philosophy.

James Keck

James Keck, a philosophy major from Joliet, Illinois, graduated in the spring of 2015. Before applying to M.B.A. programs, he took part in a mobile application start-up that he cofounded, and then he became a Business Innovator for the technology consulting firm Accenture. While at Pepperdine, he presented a paper at a conference, was Pepperdine's head delegate in the Model United Nations, worked as an intern in Human Resources at Nestlé S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland, and was a member of the rugby team, which advanced to the national quarterfinals in two of his four years. James' main philosophical interests are in logic, ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics.

Onur Sahin

Onur Sahin, a philosophy major from Houston, Texas graduated in the spring of 2015. He was accepted to the M.A. programs in biomaterials science at Arizona State University, Rice University, University of California at Riverside, University of Southern California, and University of Washington in Seattle, and he entered the program at Rice in the fall of 2016, after working for awhile as a computer programmer and doing research at UCLA. In the fall of 2018, he entered the Ph.D. program in materials science at Rice. After graduating from that program, he entered The University of Texas’ McGovern Medical School in the fall of 2021. While at Pepperdine, Onur served as a teaching assistant and a research assistant. As a research assistant at Pepperdine, he computer-modeled Shigella infections to explore possible treatments. In the summer of 2014, he did research at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, where he published a review article on photoacoustic imaging. Onur's main philosophical interests are in ancient philosophy, action theory, and philosophy of religion.

Chad Marxen

Chad Marxen, a philosophy major from Seattle, Washington, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2014. He was accepted to and was offered extensive funding by the Ph.D. programs in philosophy at Amherst, Brown, University of Arizona, University of California at Riverside, University of Virginia, and Rochester. Chad entered the philosophy Ph.D. program at Brown in the fall of 2014. While a student at Pepperdine, he was on the Dean's List; he was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society; he received a Humanities Division Special Scholarship; he presented a philosophy paper at an undergraduate conference; he took part in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program; he served as a teaching assistant for two philosophy courses; and he was chosen to participate in the 2013 Summer Seminar in Philosophy at University of Colorado at Boulder. Chad's main philosophical interests are in metaphysics, epistemology, and metaethics.

Gerard Rothfus

Gerard Rothfus, a philosophy major from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, graduated in the spring of 2014 and, the following fall, entered the Ph.D. program in philosophy at University of California at Irvine, where he was offered full funding. He received offers of full funding also from the Ph.D. programs in philosophy at Catholic University of America, Purdue University, State University of New York at Buffalo, University of Miami, and University of St. Thomas in Houston, and he received an offer of funding from the M.A. program at Carnegie Mellon. As a student at Pepperdine, Gerard was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and a member of the math honor society Pi Mu Epsilon. His main interests are in ethics, metaphysics, logic, and philosophy of religion.

Joseph Van Meter

Joseph Van Meter, a philosophy major from Lodi, California, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2014. He was accepted to the law schools at George Washington University, UCLA, University of Southern California, and William and Mary, all of which offered him substantial funding. He entered law school at UCLA in the fall of 2014 with a specialization in law and philosophy. As a Pepperdine student, he was a Dean's Scholar and a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, and he served as Humanities Editor of the undergraduate journal Global Tides. His main philosophical interests are in ethics, metaphysics, and modern philosophy.

Scott Woods

Scott Woods, a philosophy major from San Diego, California, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2014. After serving as a teaching assistant in France, working at a law firm in San Diego, and helping with a charitable organization in Rwanda, he entered law school at New York University in the fall of 2018 with a scholarship and full tuition waiver. While at Pepperdine, he was a board member of Pi Delta Phi. His main philosophical interests are in ethics and ancient philosophy.

Jordan Hess

Jordan Hess, a philosophy major from Centralia, Washington, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2014. He was accepted to the law schools at Emory, George Washington University, Pepperdine, and University of Washington, and in the fall of 2014 he entered law school at George Washington. His main areas of philosophical interest are political philosophy, modern philosophy, and feminist philosophy.

Josh Johnson

Josh Johnson, a philosophy major from Dallas, Texas and a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2014 and received offers of funding from the law schools at Michigan State University and University of Iowa. Before attending law school, he chose to teach English in Wuhan, China during the 2014-2015 academic year. Josh's main areas of philosophical interest are ancient philosophy, philosophy of language, and epistemology.

Basil Chong

Basil Chong, a philosophy major from Singapore, graduated summa cum laude in the summer of 2014 and, with full funding, entered the M.D.R. (Master of Dispute Resolution) program at Pepperdine's Straus Institute the following fall. After completing his M.A., he entered service as an officer in the Republic of Singapore navy. Basil was a teaching assistant and a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau during his time as an undergraduate student at Pepperdine. His main philosophical interests are in ancient philosophy and political philosophy.

Elizabeth Etter

Elizabeth Etter, a philosophy major from Boca Raton, Florida, graduated in the spring of 2014. In the fall of 2015, she entered the M.B.A. program at Rochester Institute of Technology. Her main areas of philosophical interest are philosophy of religion and ethics.

Dennis Gutierrez

Dennis Gutierrez, a philosophy major from Silver Lake, California, graduated cum lade in the spring of 2014. After working as a legal assistant for a law firm in Beverly Hills, he applied and was accepted to the law schools at Boston University, Chapman University, Northeastern University, Pepperdine, University of California at Davis, University of California at Hastings, and William and Mary, and to Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. In the fall of 2017, he entered Loyola Law School with funding. While at Pepperdine, he served as a research assistant; he took part in the Hispanic Scholarship Foundation and was awarded a Seaver Scholarship; and he was active in a number of organizations on campus, including the Latino Student Association, the Social Action and Justice Club, and International Student Mentors. His main philosophical interests are in epistemology and metaphysics.

Jeffrey Chapman

Jeffrey Chapman, a philosophy major from Turlock, California, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2014 and was offered several jobs in business administration and financial advising, including a position as an analyst in wealth management at Morgan Stanley. He decided to pursue a career in higher education administration and seek an advanced degree. While at Pepperdine, he was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, the Golden Key International Honor Society, and the Ambassador Council; he earned his certification in conflict management at Pepperdine's Straus Institute; and he was awarded a sizable grant to lead a service trip of twenty people to Guatemala from Argentina. His main areas of philosophical interest are ethics and philosophy of religion.

Makenzie Taylor

Makenzie Taylor, a philosophy major from Edmonds, Washington, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2014 and accepted a position as Recruiter for Trident Seafoods in Seattle, Washington. As a Pepperdine student, she was on the Dean's List, was a member of such honor societies as Phi Sigma Tau and Phi Eta Sigma, served as a research assistant, and earned her certification in conflict management at Pepperdine's Straus Institute. Makenzie's main areas of philosophical interest are ethics, logic, and modern philosophy.

Ian Irwin

Ian Irwin, a philosophy major from Burbank, California, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2013. In the fall of 2013, he entered the Ph.D. program in philosophy at Bowling Green State University, where he received substantial funding. As a student at Pepperdine, Ian was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. His main philosophical interests are in political philosophy, modern philosophy, and philosophy of language.

Craig Knepley

Craig Knepley, a philosophy major from Simi Valley, California, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2013. He was admitted to the M.A. programs in philosophy at Georgia State, Northern Illinois University, San Francisco State, University of Houston, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and Western Michigan University. He entered the M.A. program in philosophy at University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee in the fall of 2013. At Pepperdine, he worked as a research assistant for a member of the philosophy faculty and was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and the English honor society Sigma Tau Delta. Craig’s main philosophical interests are in metaphysics and philosophy of religion.

Justin Beck

Justin Beck, a philosophy major from Modesto, California, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2013. He was accepted to the law schools at UCLA, University of Southern California, and Pepperdine, and each of those schools offered him sizable funding. He entered Pepperdine Caruso School of Law in the fall of 2013. After completing his J.D., Justin hopes to earn an M.A. or a Ph.D. in philosophy. His main philosophical interests are in philosophy of religion and ethics.

Ben Kryder

Ben Kryder, a philosophy major from Webster Groves, Missouri, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2013. He was accepted to and was offered funding by the law schools at Emory, George Washington University, Notre Dame, UCLA, University of Southern California, Vanderbilt University, and Washington University at Saint Louis, and he entered law school at George Washington in the fall of 2013. As a student at Pepperdine, Ben worked as a research assistant for three professors at Pepperdine and for the Federalist Society in Washington D. C., served as a peer reviewer for the undergraduate journal Global Tides, and was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. His main philosophical interests are in political philosophy, philosophy of religion, and ethics.

Stephen Whitcombe

Stephen Whitcombe, a philosophy major from Palos Verdes Estates, California, graduated in the fall of 2013 and received offers from Vermont Law School and from the law schools at Chapman University, University of Maine, University of San Diego, and University of San Francisco. Stephen chose Vermont because of its top ranking in environmental law. With extensive funding, he entered in the spring of 2014, on track to receive an M.A. in environmental law and policy as well as a J.D. His main areas of philosophical interest are ethics, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion.

Kris Leslie

Kris Leslie, from Camarillo, California, majored in philosophy and graduated in the spring of 2013. After graduation, he went to work for Pepperdine's OneStop while pursuing his M.B.A. at California State University at Channel Islands. As a student at Pepperdine, he made the Dean's List, served as a research assistant for a professor in Pepperdine's program in Florence, Italy, and was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. Kris' main philosophical interests are in logic and philosophy of religion.

Aaron Wilson

After graduating in the summer of 2013, Aaron Wilson, a philosophy major from Los Angeles, California, took a position as social media coordinator for Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. As a student at Pepperdine, he served as the editor of the op-ed section of The Graphic, he received several honors from his fraternity Psi Upsilon, and he was president of the Inter-Fraternity Council.

Madeline Jackson

After graduating from Pepperdine in the spring of 2013, Madeline Jackson, a philosophy major from Westlake Village, California, attended the Oxford Center for Christian Apologetics, which is a partnership between Wycliffe Hall (Oxford University) and Ravi Zacherias International Ministries. In 2015, she was accepted to the M.Div. programs at Princeton Theological Seminary and Duke Divinity School, among other places. In 2017, she was accepted to the MLitt program in Bible and the contemporary world and to the MLitt program in analytic and exegetical theology at University of St. Andrews, and she entered the latter program. In 2019, she entered the Ph.D. program in divinity at St. Andrews. As a student at Pepperdine, she chaired the Veritas Forum on campus and worked for the Salvation Army in London. Her main philosophical interests are in personal identity, philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion, and ethics.

Patrick Moan

After graduating in the spring of 2013, Patrick Moan, a philosophy major from Huntington Beach, California, became a Brand Coverage Assistant at Creative Artists Agency, a talent and sports agency which is headquartered in Los Angeles. As an undergraduate student, he was a member of Pepperdine's Ambassador Council and was the Recruitment Chair for Alpha Tau Omega. His main areas of philosophical interest are political philosophy, metaphysics, and philosophy of mind.

Max Muller

Max Muller, a philosophy major from Murrieta, California, graduated in the spring of 2013. He taught for a while at Temecula Preparatory School in Temecula, California and then, in the fall of 2016, entered the M.A. program in philosophy at University of Cologne in Germany. While at Pepperdine, Max was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and the German honor society Delta Phi Alpha; he participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program; and he served first as Associate Editor of Humanities and then as Humanities Editor for the undergraduate journal Global Tides. Max's main philosophical interests are in ethics, epistemology, ancient philosophy, and metaphilosophy.

Fate Hagood

After graduating in the spring of 2013, Fate Hagood, a philosophy major from Compton, California, began working for Greenpeace. While at Pepperdine, he cofounded the on-campus organization D.R.E.A.M. (Dramatically Reconstructing Education through African-American Men). His main areas of philosophical interest are ethics and political philosophy.

Brianna Campbell

Brianna Campbell, a philosophy major originally from Spain, was president of Pepperdine's chapter of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and was accepted to the 2013 Colorado Summer Seminar in Philosophy at University of Colorado at Boulder. After graduating from Pepperdine cum laude in the spring of 2013, Brianna was selected to serve a two-year term in the Peace Corps in Africa. In the fall of 2016, she entered the M.A. program in philosophy at Northern Illinois University with full funding. Her main philosophical interests are in ethics, ancient philosophy, and political philosophy.

Peter Zuk

Peter Zuk, a philosophy major from Denver, Colorado, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2012. In the fall of 2012, he entered the Ph.D. program in philosophy at Rice University, where he was offered full funding. He received fellowship offers also from the Ph.D. programs in philosophy at Boston University, Bowling Green, Purdue, Rochester, University of California at Riverside, and Vanderbilt, and he was accepted to the M.A. programs in philosophy at Tufts, University of Chicago, and University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. As a student at Pepperdine, he received numerous scholarships; consistently made the Dean's List; served as a teaching assistant for two professors; was awarded an Undergraduate Research Grant for his research project with a member of the philosophy faculty; had four papers accepted to academic conferences and published four papers, one of which won a prestigious award; was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and the Golden Key International Honor Society; and served as Associate Editor of Humanities and Associate Editor of Religion for the undergraduate journal Global Tides. Peter's main philosophical interests are in metaphysics, ethics, epistemology, and philosophy of religion.

Caroline Mobley

Caroline Mobley, a philosophy minor from Memphis, Tennessee, graduated in the spring of 2012 and entered the Ph.D. program in philosophy at University of Tennessee at Knoxville in the fall of 2014. While at Pepperdine, she was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and a member of the English honor society Sigma Tau Delta; she presented a paper at an undergraduate conference; she participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program; and she served on the editorial board for the undergraduate journal Global Tides. Caroline's main philosophical interests are in ancient philosophy, philosophy of religion, and ethics.

Michael Chesnut

Michael Chesnut, a philosophy major from Miami, Oklahoma, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2012. He was accepted to the M.A. programs in philosophy at Northern Illinois University and Oklahoma State University and entered the program at Northern Illinois in the fall of 2014. Both Northern Illinois and Oklahoma State offered him funding, and he was selected as a finalist for a fellowship from the National Congress of American Indians. For the 2015-2016 year, he also received the Jeffrey Lunsford Underrepresented Fellowship at Northern Illinois University. Michael's main philosophical interests are in ethics, political philosophy, and ancient philosophy.

David Phillips

David Phillips, a philosophy major from Lompoc, California, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2012. He was accepted to the law schools at Berkeley, Columbia, Harvard, Pepperdine, University of California at Davis, UCLA, University of Southern California, University of Chicago, and University of Pennsylvania, and most of these schools offered him funding. He chose to enter Harvard Law in the fall of 2014 after spending two years earning an M.A. in theology at Westminster Seminary in California. While at Pepperdine, he was on the Dean's List; he was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, the Golden Key International Honor Society, and Alpha Chi National Honor Society; and he was offered a position as a research assistant. David's main philosophical interests are in philosophy of religion, ethics, and political philosophy.

Jacob Perrin

Jacob Perrin, a philosophy major from Malibu, California, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2012. As a student at Pepperdine, he was Secretary of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, he founded Pepperdine's Bioethics Club, and he worked as a research assistant for three professors. Bioethics is the area of philosophy that interests Jacob the most, and he chose to study it for a year before heading to medical school. He was accepted to Columbia's and Wake Forest's M.A. programs in bioethics, and he entered Wake Forest's program in the fall of 2012 with extensive funding. After completing his thesis on whether there is an obligation to provide healthcare to undocumented immigrants, Jacob graduated from Wake Forest in December of 2013 and was accepted to the medical schools at Northwestern, University of California at Davis, University of Miami, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Southern California, University of Virginia, and Saint Louis University. He entered medical school at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall of 2014.

Sasha Stillman

Sasha Stillman, a philosophy major from Los Angeles, California, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2012. She was offered full funding by a number of law schools and entered Pepperdine Law in the fall of 2012. As an undergraduate, she worked as a research assistant for a member of Seaver's faculty and was Vice President of Pepperdine's chapters of four organizations: the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, Golden Key International Honor Society, Alpha Chi Honor Society, and the pre-law fraternity Phi Alpha Delta.

Jordan Kahler

Jordan Kahler, a Regent Scholar and philosophy major from Los Gatos, California, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2012. As an undergraduate at Pepperdine, he attended class at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law; he was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau; he was President of the history honor society Phi Alpha Theta; he was on the Dean's list; he was Humanities Editor and then Editor-in-Chief of the undergraduate journal Global Tides; he finished second in the nation over one hundred fifty-six finalists at the National Parliamentary Debate Association's 2010 National Tournament, the premier tournament of the largest intercollegiate debate association in the United States; he worked in the non-profit anti-trafficking organization Project Exodus; and he served Los Angeles' Urban Debate League and the Los Gatos Youth Commission. Jordan was accepted to the law schools at Berkeley and Pepperdine, and Pepperdine's law school offered him a Faculty Scholars Award. In the fall of 2012, he entered law school at Berkeley, aiming to focus on criminal justice and human rights law. Jordan's main philosophical interests are in ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics.

Paul Baldini

Paul Baldini, from Sea Isle City, New Jersey, majored in philosophy and graduated cum laude in the spring of 2012. Both Albany Law School and Widener Law School offered him substantial funding, and in the fall of 2012 he began studying law at Widener. As a Pepperdine student, Paul was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. The areas of philosophy that interest him the most are epistemology and political philosophy.

Alexander Drummond

Alexander Drummond, a philosophy major from Tulsa, Oklahoma, graduated in the spring of 2012. In May of 2011, he was hired by the 125th Fighter Squadron of the 138th Fighter Wing to become an F-16 fighter pilot. He began Undergraduate Pilot Training in the fall of 2012. When not in training or deployed overseas, he lives with his wife on his family's cattle ranch in Osage County, Oklahoma, where he partners with his father and siblings in their cow/calf and stocker operations. Alexander's main philosophical interests are in ethics and political philosophy.

Alex Cooper

Alex Cooper, a philosophy major from Las Vegas, Nevada, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2012. While at Pepperdine, he was on the Dean's List and presented a paper at a conference. He also was co-president of Reach OUT, vice president of Pepperdine Libertarians, a member of Model United Nations, a peer reviewer for the undergraduate journal Global Tides, and a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. After graduating, Alex worked as a legal assistant at an immigration law firm in Las Vegas, where he did research for clients applying for immigration benefits or requesting immigration relief in court. In the fall of 2014, he was admitted to the UCLA School of Law, where he is studying to be a civil rights advocate. Alex's main philosophical interests are in political philosophy, philosophy of religion, and ethics.

Devon Walker

As an undergraduate at Pepperdine, Devon Walker, from Greenwich, Connecticut, majored in philosophy and was certified in dispute resolution at the Straus Institute at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. He also served as Vice President of Pepperdine's chapter of the social fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon, Vice President of Character and Community Development for Pepperdine's Inter-Fraternal Council, and Vice President of Operations for the Inter-Club Council. After graduating in the spring of 2012 and serving for a year as Regional Director (an organizational and leadership development consultant) for Sigma Phi Epsilon, Devon became Associate Consultant for the strategic planning group The Prouty Project. His main philosophical interests are in ancient philosophy, political philosophy, and ethics.

Wes Martin

After graduating from Pepperdine in the spring of 2012, Wes Martin, a philosophy major and Dean's Scholar from Cleveland, Ohio, helped to start a web design company, edG Design. His main areas of philosophical interest are epistemology, ancient philosophy, metaphysics, and philosophy of language.

Henok Elias

After graduating from Pepperdine in the spring of 2012 and serving for ten months as a Corps Member and Communications Coordinator for the AmeriCorps program City Year Los Angeles, Henok Elias worked as a Junior Headhunter for the Calvin Group and then as the Lead Headhunter at SVR, Inc., planning ultimately to pursue an M.D.R. (Master of Dispute Resolution) at Pepperdine's Straus Institute. Henok's main areas of philosophical interest are logic, aesthetics, and philosophy of religion.

Nick Baranishyn

Nick Baranishyn, a philosophy major from San Francisco, California, graduated in the fall of 2011. In the summer of 2012 he was hired by the Heritage Foundation as their Nuclear Proliferation Analyst Intern, and the following fall he entered the M.A. program in Security Studies at Johns Hopkins. In 2013 he began working for the Department of Justice, and in 2020 he was admitted to law school. His main philosophical interests are in ethics, political philosophy, and action theory.

Sid Kumar

After graduating in the fall of 2011, Sid Kumar, a philosophy major from Bombay, India and Michigan, began working as a Research Analyst with Thomson Reuters, an information company in Minneapolis. In the fall of 2017, he entered medical school at University of Minnesota.

Justin Clardy

Justin Clardy, from Gardena, California, graduated from Pepperdine in 2011 with a major in philosophy. He was accepted to a number of graduate programs in philosophy, including the M.A. program at Syracuse, and he was offered funding by programs at California State at Long Beach, California State at San Jose, and San Diego State University. In the fall of 2011, he entered the Ph.D. program in philosophy at University of Arkansas at Fayetteville as a fully funded Benjamin Franklin Lever Fellow. As a Pepperdine student, he was a finalist for the Ford Foundation Fellowship; he published articles in undergraduate philosophy journals; he presented papers at several academic conferences in the United States and Canada; and he served as a research assistant for Dr. Garrett Pendergraft on a project involving free will and for Dr. Ryan Nichols (California State University at Fullerton) on a project involving the problem of evil in eighteenth-century thought. Justin also was quite active in student life, particularly in the office of Intercultural Affairs. He helped to found the on-campus organization D.R.E.A.M. (Dramatically Reconstructing Education through African-American Men) and served as its Communications Chairman for two years, and he was instrumental in helping Pepperdine establish its inaugural Multicultural Graduation Ceremony. His main philosophical interests are in metaphysics, experimental philosophy, and philosophy of religion.

Sadie Acquah-Asare

Sadie Acquah-Asare, from Lake Forest, California, majored in philosophy and graduated from Pepperdine in the spring of 2011. In the fall of 2011, she entered medical school at UCLA and the PRIME Program through Charles Drew University, on track to earn both an M.D. and an M.A. in business administration, public health, or public policy. During her time at Pepperdine, she served as a teaching assistant and was a research assistant and principal investigator on several projects in the natural sciences; she presented papers at several academic conferences; she received the Natural Science Award, as well as seven scholarships and grants; and she was inducted into two honor societies. She hopes to become a plastic surgeon and to do reconstructive surgery in impoverished countries.

Ian Cheung

Ian Cheung, a Music Composition major and philosophy student from Orange, California, graduated in the spring of 2011. He was accepted to the M.A. program in philosophy at Peking University in China and a graduate program at the China Conservatory of Music. In 2009, his published novel was a finalist for a National Best Book Award and a Next Generation Indie Book Award. Ian's main philosophical interests are in comparative philosophy involving Chinese philosophy.

John Gunter

John Gunter, a philosophy major from Temple, Texas, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2011 and entered law school at University of Virginia the following fall. While at Pepperdine, he was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and received six scholarships, including the Endowed Seaver Scholars Program scholarship. He was awarded a grant through the Academic Year Undergraduate Research Initiative to carry out a research project with a faculty member, and he presented a paper at an undergraduate conference.

Mark Langer

Mark Langer, a philosophy major from Redlands, California, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2011. In the fall of 2011, he entered Loyola Law School in Los Angeles with a substantial merit scholarship, having been accepted also to the law schools at Notre Dame, Pepperdine, University of Colorado, and Boston College. In the fall of 2012, he transferred to the law school at Berkeley. As an undergraduate at Pepperdine, he was exceptionally active on campus, was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, and received the Harbison Trust Scholarship. His main philosophical interests are in ethics, metaphysics, philosophy of religion, and epistemology.

Nandor Kiss

Nandor Kiss, from Agua Dulce, California, graduated magna cum laude in 2011 with a B.A. in philosophy, a B.S. in business administration, and certification in dispute resolution from Pepperdine Law School’s Strauss Institute. He was accepted to a number of Ivy League law schools and other top-ranked law schools and received scholarship offers from several law schools, including William and Mary Law School, which he entered in the fall of 2011. While at Pepperdine, he was on the Dean's List and was a member of the Alpha Chi honor society, the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, the business honor society Beta Gamma Sigma, and the Golden Key International Honor Society; and as President of the fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon, he created a philosophy forum and instituted basic ethics training for new members. His main philosophical interests are in political philosophy and ethics.

Michael Evans

Michael Evans, a philosophy major from Sherwood, Arkansas, graduated in the spring of 2011. He was accepted to Boston University Law School and was offered substantial funding by the law schools at William and Mary, Indiana at Bloomington, Emory, and University of Arkansas. In the fall of 2012, he began his study at Emory Law.

Shannon Emery

Shannon Emery, a Regent Scholar and philosophy major from Monterey, California, graduated in the spring of 2011, headed for an accelerated B.S. program in nursing. Shannon's goal is ultimately to teach nursing. Her main philosophical interests are in bioethics.

Ben Whiteker

Ben Whiteker, a philosophy major from Fontana, California, graduated in the spring of 2011 and is now a Marketing Strategist for Enverto Investment Group. As an undergraduate, he was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity, a member of the concert choir, and a contributing columnist to Seaver's undergraduate newspaper, The Graphic. His main areas of philosophical interest are metaphysics, philosophy of religion, logic, ancient philosophy, and epistemology.

Aaron Clark

Aaron Clark, a philosophy major from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, graduated magna cum laude in the spring of 2011. As an undergraduate student, he was vice president of Pepperdine's chapter of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau; he published an article coauthored with a member of the philosophy faculty; and he studied music under Christopher Parkening. Before applying to M.A. and Ph.D. programs in philosophy, he spent a year in the studio recording tracks for his first classical guitar album. His main philosophical interests are in philosophy of religion, ethics, aesthetics, and philosophy of education.

Lindsay Enriquez

Lindsay Enriquez, a philosophy major from Santa Barbara, California, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2011. After graduation, she chose to join Teach for America, teaching in a low-income community in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Blake McAllister

Blake McAllister, a philosophy major from Kansas City, Missouri, graduated summa cum laude in the fall of 2010. He was accepted to the Ph.D. programs in philosophy at Purdue and Baylor and the M.A. program in philosophy at Tufts. In the fall of 2011, he entered the program at Baylor, where he received the Presidential Fellowship. While at Pepperdine, he published articles in undergraduate philosophy journals; presented a paper at a graduate-level philosophy conference; gave guest lectures in philosophy classes at Pepperdine and elsewhere; served as a research assistant, as well as a teaching assistant; was a finalist in the Lilly Graduate Fellows Program; was inducted into several honor societies; and was president of Pepperdine’s chapter of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. He also was part of eleven extra-curricular organizations, and he received numerous scholarships and several awards and honors, including an award for his work in the non-profit anti-trafficking organization that he helped to found. His main areas of philosophical interest are in metaphysics, epistemology, and philosophy of religion.

Andrew Forcehimes

Andrew Forcehimes, a philosophy major from Scottsdale, Arizona, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2010 and, the following fall, entered the Ph.D. program in philosophy at Vanderbilt University, having received handsome offers from a range of doctoral programs in philosophy, including Notre Dame University’s. While at Pepperdine, Andrew was a finalist for a Rhodes scholarship, he received ten scholarships and grants, and he was inducted into four honor societies, serving as an officer in Pepperdine’s chapter of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. He also worked as a research assistant for several Pepperdine professors and gave lectures as a teaching assistant, and he presented papers at academic conferences and published numerous articles, four of which he coauthored with Pepperdine faculty. Two essays he authored on his own were accepted for the spring of 2009 meeting of the prestigious Undergraduate Ethics Symposium at DePauw University. Andrew's main philosophical interests are in contemporary political philosophy and applied ethics.

Devon Bryson

Devon Bryson, a philosophy major from Anaheim, California, studied at Pepperdine as a National Merit Scholar. He graduated from Pepperdine magna cum laude in the spring of 2010 and entered the Ph.D. program in philosophy at University of Tennessee the following fall with a full-paid teaching fellowship. While at Pepperdine, Devon published in undergraduate journals, presented papers at undergraduate conferences, and helped to edit and referee the undergraduate journal Global Tides. He was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, serving as an officer in Pepperdine's chapter, and he worked with members of Pepperdine's faculty on three projects in the Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Devon is interested mainly in political philosophy and aesthetics.

Matt Dougherty

Matt Dougherty, a philosophy major from Kansas City, Missouri, graduated in 2009. After then spending a semester studying philosophy in the post-baccalaureate program at University of Pennsylvania, he entered the M.A. program in philosophy at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the fall of 2010 and, later, the M.A. program in philosophy at Cambridge. After completing his M.A. at Cambridge, Matt entered Cambridge's Ph.D. program with funding in the fall of 2015. His main philosophical interests are in metaethics and epistemology.

Alex Swob

After graduating cum laude in the spring of 2010 with a minor in philosophy, Alex Swob entered the M.A. program in ancient philosophy, and later the Ph.D. program in philosophy, at University of Edinburgh.

Joe Riegerix

Joe Riegerix, a philosophy major from St. Louis, Missouri, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2010. While at Pepperdine, he served as Vice President of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. He accepted a scholarship offer from Wake Forest University School of Law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and graduated with a J.D. in 2013. After law school, Joe worked for a large Chicago-based law firm where he practiced defense of toxic torts including asbestos litigation. In summer of 2017, he accepted a position with a law firm in his hometown of St. Louis where he practices labor and employment law on the side of management and the employer. His main philosophical interests are ancient Greek philosophy, metaphysics, and philosophy of law.

Zac Parsons

Zac Parsons, a philosophy major from Glenwood Springs, Colorado, graduated cum laude in the spring of 2010. After working as a banker at Chase, among other things, he entered law school in the fall of 2012 at Vanderbilt, where he received the Dean's Scholarship. He was accepted also to the law schools at Cornell, Notre Dame, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Denver, Washington University in St. Louis, and William and Mary, and he received funding offers from a number of these schools. While at Pepperdine, he was a member of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau; he interned in the White House in the spring of 2008; he was active on the debate team and took second in the nation at the 2010 National Parliamentary Debate Association Tournament of Champions; and he was president of multiple organizations on campus. Zac's main philosophical interests are in ethics, metaphysics, and philosophy of religion.

Becky Gallardo

Becky Gallardo, a philosophy major from Las Vegas, Nevada, graduated in the spring of 2010 and, the following fall, entered the William S. Boyd School of Law at University of Nevada at Las Vegas. While at Pepperdine, she worked as a research assistant for four professors, she presented research at two banquets for Seaver Undergraduate Research in Biology, and she received the Ann Peppers Scholarship, the Hispanic Advisory Council Scholarship, the Christian Service Grant, and the Seaver Alumni Grant.

David Herrera

David Herrera, a philosophy major from Riverside, California, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2010. At Pepperdine, he was inducted into the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau, and he received a Philosophy Scholarship for the 2009-2010 academic year. Upon graduating from Pepperdine, he began work as a mortgage consultant with Provident Funding.

Alan Reynolds

Alan Reynolds, a philosophy major from Chico, California, graduated summa cum laude in the spring of 2009. In the fall of 2009, he entered the Ph.D. program in philosophy at University of Oregon. Alan was admitted to several leading graduate programs in philosophy and received offers of full-paid teaching fellowships from the Ph.D. programs at Villanova University, Duquesne University, and University of Oregon. While at Pepperdine, he was active in the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau and served as president of Pepperdine's chapter during his senior year. As an undergraduate, he also published two articles and several book reviews and presented a paper at an academic conference. Alan's philosophical interests center on continental philosophy, particularly Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Gadamer.

Eric Westlund

Eric Westlund, a philosophy major from Tigard, Oregon, graduated cum laude in 2009. As an undergraduate, he was an officer in Pepperdine’s chapter of the philosophy honor society Phi Sigma Tau. He was admitted to several law schools, including Pepperdine’s and University of Southern California’s, and chose to pursue his J.D. at Northwestern.

Alison Barendse

Alison Barendse was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and, from the age of nine, lived in New York City. She majored in philosophy at Pepperdine and, after graduating in 2009, moved to Newport Beach, California, where she accepted a position at the marketing and advertising agency Hayes Martin Associates.  Part of her work there is to help to develop marketing strategies and creative design for a range of advertising campaigns.  In her spare time, Alison serves as the president of the Orange County chapter of Pepperdine's alumni association.

Alissa Smith

Alissa Smith graduated with a minor in philosophy in 2008. She was awarded a Fulbright scholarship the following year. Alissa received fellowship offers from University of Chicago, Tufts University, and University of Vermont. In the fall of 2012, she entered the M.A. program at University of Chicago.

Adam Coulson

Adam Coulson, a philosophy major from Pasadena, California, graduated summa cum laude in 2008. After graduation, he worked for three years as an Academic Advisor for Seaver College. He was accepted with funding to the law schools at Duke, Northwestern, Cornell, UCLA, University of Southern California, Boston University, and Notre Dame. In the fall of 2012, he entered law school at Northwestern.

Published Philosophy Articles Written by Students while at Pepperdine

• Justin Beck, "A Critical Assessment of van Inwagen's Response to the Evidential Argument from Evil," Arête (2012-2013):49-67
• Shane A. Bilsborough, “The Republic’s Ambiguous Democracy” (with Mason Marshall), History of Philosophy Quarterly 27.4 (2010): 301-316
• Anna Brinkerhoff, "Resolving the Paradox of Fiction: A Defense of Irrationalism," Stance 7 (2014): 41-50
• Devon Bryson, "The Justice of Saving Our World: Rawlsian Theory Applied to Environmentalism and Alternative Energy," Global Tides 3 (2009)
• Justin Clardy, "Free Will, Moral Responsibilities, and Alternative Possibilities: An Empirical Investigation," Polymath 1.2 (2011): 47-59
• Justin Clardy, “On the Nature of Romantic Love,” Valley Humanities Review 2 (2011)
• Justin Clardy, "Knowledge and Rational Desirability," Dialogue 54.2-3 (2012): 181-185
• Aaron M. Clark, “Is Clarity Essential to Good Teaching?” (with Mason Marshall), Teaching Philosophy 33.3 (2010): 271-289
• Peter B. Creech, "The Problem of Infinity in Meditation III," Global Tides 9 (2015)
• Matthew Dougherty, “Platonic Epistocracy: A Response to Andrew Forcehimes’ ‘Deliberative Democracy with a Spine,’” Dialogue 52.2-3 (2010): 79-83
• Andrew T. Forcehimes, “Can Peircean Epistemic Perfectionists Bid Farewell to Deweyan Democracy?” (with J. Caleb Clanton), Contemporary Pragmatism 6.2 (2009): 165-183 (This issue of Contemporary Pragmatism includes a reply from Robert B. Talisse.)
• Andrew T. Forcehimes, “Justice as Fairness in the Workplace: A Rawlsian Conception of Worker Benefits,” in 2009 Undergraduate Ethics Symposium: Focus on Diversity and Medical Ethics (DePauw University, 2009): 155-160
• Andrew T. Forcehimes, “Deliberative Democracy with a Spine: Epistemic Agency as Political Authority,” Dialogue 52.2-3 (2010): 69-78
• Andrew T. Forcehimes, "A Peircean Epistemic Argument for a Modest Multiculturalism" (with J. Caleb Clanton), Contemporary Pragmatism 8.2 (2011): 163-185
• John Gunter, "Edward Scribner Ames, Pragmatism, and Religious Naturalism: A Critical Assessment" (with J. Caleb Clanton), Heythrop Journal  55.3 (2014): 375-390
• Craig B. Knepley, “For What I Hate, I Do: An Investigation of Weakness of Will,” Global Tides 7 (2013)
• Benjamin Kryder, "The Possibility of Akrasia in the Protagoras and the Republic," Global Tides 6 (2012)
• Justin Kundrak, "The Compatibility of Aristotle and Evolution," Ex Nihilo (2012): 1-14
• Chad Marxen, “Fatalism and Truth at a Time,” Stance 6 (2013): 29-35
• Chad Marxen, “Yes, Safety Is in Danger” (with Tomás Bogardus), Philosophia 42.2 (2014): 321-334
• Maximillian M. Muller, "How a Skeptical Foundationalist Might Respond to Peter Klein," Global Tides 7 (2013)
• Blake McAllister, “The Principle of Sufficient Reason and Free Will,” Stance 3 (2010): 1-8
• Blake McAllister, “The Universe Began to Exist? Craig’s Philosophical Arguments for a Finite Past,” Stance 4 (2011): 103-114
• Jacob Perrin, "A Defense of Socrates' Denial of Akrasia," Dialogue 54.1 (2011): 36-42
• Jacob Perrin, "The Incoherence of William James' Moral Philosophy," Aporia 21.2 (2011): 11-18
• Jacob Perrin, "Justice and Global Health," in 2012 Undergraduate Ethics Symposium: Ethics and Relationships: Friends, Family and Community (DePauw University, 2012): 52-61
• William Perrin, "The Failure of Hope as an Epistemic Standard," Sound Ideas (2019)
• Will Perrin, “Knowledge is Believing Something Because It’s True” (with Tomás Bogardus), Episteme 19.2 (2022): 178-196
• Alan Reynolds, “Kant’s Thing in Itself as a Limiting Concept,” Dialogue 50.2-3 (2008): 45-49
• Alan Reynolds, “Dasein and Worldhood: The Role of the ‘for-the-sake-of-which’ and das Man in Dasein’s Familiarity with Significance,” Dialogue 51.1 (2008): 29-33
• Alan Reynolds, “Christianity without Ressentiment: Nietzsche’s Jesus, Weak Theology, and the Possibility for a New Christian Ethics,” Agora 18 (2009)
• Alan Reynolds, “Dialogue without Coercion, Authority without Domination: Gadamer’s Hermeneutics and the Voice of the Female Other (and Other Others),” Dialogue 52.1 (2009): 1-9
• Mallorie Urban, "How to Tell Whether Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God" (with Tomas Bogardus), Faith and Philosophy 34.2 (2017): 176-200
• Scott J. Woods, "Clarifying the Gettier Objection to Plantinga's Theory of Knowledge," Global Tides 8 (2014)
• Scott Woods, "Irrational Desires, Akrasia, and the Tripartite Soul," Ephemeris 14 (2014): 97-109
• Jacob Zimbelman, "Socrates' Satisfied Pigs," Global Tides 12 (2018)
• Peter Zuk, "Plantinga, Kant and Cognitive Reliability," Global Tides 4 (2010)
• Peter Zuk, "Rethinking the Republic," Arête 5 (2011): 17-26