New Student Orientation (NSO) at Pepperdine is a program that provides a full week of events for new students and parents to equip them for their time at Pepperdine.
Returning students share what inspired their roles as NSO leaders and their experience so far. Ximena Parra is a junior who joined her friends in the fun of being an NSO leader this year.
“One of my best friends is doing NSO, so we thought it would be so fun for us to move-in early and help people move-in,” Parra said.
She also attributes her own experience with NSO to her becoming a leader.
“For me NSO was really the start to a really pivotal year in my life,” Parra said. “It was awesome to just be able to sign up and help people move-in. It means a lot for families and students.”
Parra spent approximately three days training as an NSO leader to help people to the best of her ability, she said. She also talked about the importance of addressing certain buildings by their new names, as students and parents are still familiarizing themselves with the campus, Parra said.
Adelaide Lowry is a sophomore from Thessaloniki, Greece. Adelaide said she was inspired to attend Pepperdine, despite its distance from her home, because of a camp she attended at Pepperdine over the summer. Her experience with NSO leaders inspired her to become a NSO leader herself, she said.
“Last year when I moved in as an international student, I moved in early so there was not a lot of people,” Lowry said. “But, the NSO staff was just so friendly and so helpful.”
Adelaide said she had a lot of fun at the NSO staff beach day and has answered many students’ questions regarding places to eat in Malibu.
Students also shared what brought them to Pepperdine.
Alexis Zubowicz is an incoming first-year from Denver. She said she was drawn to Pepperdine after attending a campus tour and being drawn to the community aspects of the school.
Zubowicz said she looks forward to, “Meeting everybody and making friends in my classes and finding my niche in the place I wanna be in.”
First-year student, Gary Pagan from Severna Park, Maryland was drawn to Pepperdine because of the International Programs.
“Buenos Aires looks amazing and so does Heidelberg, Germany,” Pagan said.
Pagan said he is excited to attend the president’s welcome party and looks forward to Greek life.
Aiofe Brennan is an incoming student from Boston. Brennan said she was drawn to Pepperdine because she felt very welcomed by the warmth of the school.
“I’m looking forward to meeting new people and seeing what everything is about,” said Brennan.
Brennan has also met some of her professors and already feels supported by them, she said.
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Contact Ellya Asatryan via email: ellya.asatryan@pepperdine.edu
