Malibu is one of the most recognizable cities in California, according to CNN. From being the home of many celebrities to being mentioned in numerous songs, Malibu attracts people from all over the world. Since Pepperdine is the only university in the city, many students seize the opportunity to come to school in Malibu.
Ten percent of Pepperdine’s student body is made up of international students. This percentage is 5% more than the national average, according to Pepperdine’s website.
Over 80 countries are represented at Pepperdine, according to the university’s website. Some of these students come to Malibu to play for Pepperdine’s Division I athletics teams.
“I ended up speaking to most schools, but in the end, Pepperdine just really felt like the right fit,” said Edward Winter, freshman tennis player and Australian native.
These talented athletes have come from around the world to compete for the Waves. As they adjust to living in a new country, they are also working to bring success to their teams.
Choosing Malibu
With enough talent to commit to a Division I school, many Pepperdine athletes have the opportunity to continue playing at schools around the world. So, that poses the question: Why choose Malibu?
Each athlete interviewed said a major factor in their decision to commit to Pepperdine was the beautiful location. The beauty of Malibu meant different things for each athlete. Some spoke about the sunny weather, while others said seeing the Pacific Ocean daily was a highlight.
“Malibu is a great location,” Winter said. “California is nice. The people here are really good.”
Aladji Gassama, men’s basketball redshirt sophomore, said there are some differences he enjoys between Malibu and his home country of Mali, Africa. For example, Gassama said Mali has more of a humid climate, similar to Florida. Gassama said, while he loves his home country, he cannot deny how great Malibu is.
“Pepperdine’s campus is a great campus,” Gassama said. “I’ve never been somewhere like this view-wise. The location is great. It’s by the beach and also [has] great weather.”
Junior golfer KaYee Kwok is from Tianjin, China and said she likes living in Malibu because of its proximity to other places and range of things to do. Kwok said she enjoys the ability to choose a relaxing beach day or a busy day exploring Los Angeles.
“We can really choose to be social or not social,” Kwok said. “When we want to focus, look at the ocean; you’re in this calm, serene place. But, if you want to have some fun, you can just drive 30 minutes; like, go to Downtown LA.”
Cultural Differences
International athletes come from around the world to play in the United States. As they pursue their passions at the next level, they must also adjust to living in a different country.
Kwok said she has been preparing to come to college in the United States since she was in the second grade.
“Two different countries on two sides of the world,” Kwok said. “My goal was always to come study abroad in the U.S. because the U.S. is leading in education.”
One positive adjustment for Kwok has been receiving better resources for her sport, Kwok said.
“Back home, not a lot of people are playing golf,” Kwok said. “It’s growing now, but there are better resources out here [in the U.S.]. There’s not a lot of space for us to build golf courses. It’s just not a thing within our culture because it’s more like ping pong or badminton.”
Winter said he had a similar experience to Kwok, as there is more tennis competition in the United States than in Australia.
“There’s so many more players than back home,” Winter said. “There’s just so much more happening over on this side of the world.”
Winter said, with so much happening in the U.S., he is learning to deal with a faster pace of life.
“It’s just so much bigger in America,” Winter said. “The cities, the population — there’s so much more happening. I feel like it’s a bit more go, go, go. I do like the fast pace of society, but that’s probably the main difference.”
While some of these differences help international athletes such as Kwok and Winter, a new culture can also be a challenge for others.
Gassama said the biggest difficulty he had upon moving to the United States was the language barrier, as his first language is French.
“In Mali, we never speak English there,” Gassama said. “There is a huge language difference. I came to the States without knowing any English.”
Gassama said language wasn’t the only change for him.
“Culturally, it’s really different too,” Gassama said. “We only have lakes in Mali, all meals are cooked freshly, we don’t save food for days, and our recipes are totally different. Academically, our schools in Mali are the same as France. All the classes are in French. ”
Finding a Supportive Community
While international athletes adjust to living in a brand new country and simultaneously balance academics and athletics, many of them said the supportive community at Pepperdine has helped ease this transition.
“I just really like this community,” Kwok said. “Purpose, service and leadership — it’s perfectly illustrated.”
Kwok also said, though she isn’t religious, she has learned a lot about Christianity since coming to Pepperdine.
“I like how Christianity builds a community,” Kwok said. “We’re so helpful to others, and we’re really family-like. You get to know the professors, and everybody on the staff is so nice.”
Gassama said the community at Pepperdine has been one of his favorite parts of the University.
“The teachers have been very open-minded with my language,” Gassama said. “I also like being around my teammates and the workers here. I really enjoy the people here — like, their personalities.”
Winter said the supportive community at Pepperdine is one of the things that drew him to attending in the first place.
“I liked the sort of community feel of a small school,” Winter said. “I got along really well with the coaches and everyone in the staff. I really did feel inspired to come here compared to other schools, and that’s nothing against other schools. Everyone has really good programs, but Pepperdine always stood out to me.”
While the community initially drew Winter to Pepperdine, he said it has been one of his favorite parts of his time so far.
“One of the nice things about Pepperdine is definitely the community feel,” Winter said. “When I go to the Caf, you’re seeing familiar faces. The staff, the professors, the coaches — they all care about developing everyone as people as well.”
Making Waves of Success
Calling a new country home has brought challenges to many international athletes, but it has also brought massive opportunities for success.
Winter recently competed in the Australian Open, defeating Franco Agamenone in the first round to move on. For the Waves, Winter earned WCC Preseason Team Honors for his success early in the year. His fall success helped him earn a #23 ranking in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Singles Rankings, according to Pepperdine Tennis.
Winter has had some huge individual success during his first semester at Pepperdine but said he is very excited for the tennis team as a whole.
“We see ourselves as a top-ten, top-five national program,” Winter said. “If we can keep building in these next few years, I do believe that we can have an NCAA title. We’ve got a long way to go, but we’re trending that way. I don’t see anything holding us back from that perspective.”
Kwok said she also has her eye on a national championship, especially after the golf team’s recent success.
“We won back-to-back championships to start,” Kwok said. “This summer, we had a top-eight finish in the Nationals. We’re definitely grinding, and then, hopefully, we can make it another one.”
Gassama said the basketball team has been missing key players, but they are working toward success.
“I would say we are still building,” Gassama said. “It’s going to be better from now on.”
For Gassama, he said his success is more personal. His goal is to graduate with a Pepperdine degree and take the skills he has learned here into the real world.
“The academics teach me how to be a very good student,” Gassama said. “How to take care of business, how to turn things in on time, how to be responsible — those types of disciplines are things you’re going to need in order to be successful.”
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