Photo by Griffin Pilcher
Senior Justin Foster is on track to be the first in his family to graduate college. Growing up, he never thought college was an option for him.
Most people in his primarily Hispanic community in Oxnard went straight to work after high school. In South Oxnard, where Foster attended high school, many schools were underfunded and lacked the resources to support students’ journeys to college.
“I probably wouldn’t have applied at all just because everyone I grew up with, right out of high school, thought, ‘OK, I’m going to join the workforce’ or ‘I have to support my family in some way,’” Foster said. “The majority of my friends are not in college.”
Starting from a place of learning and growth in his first year, Foster’s advisers said he embodies the values of service, academic excellence and determination in all aspects of his college life.
Beginning the Journey
Though his high school had college advisers, there was often a disconnect between the faculty and students. Many students felt the teachers didn’t really understand what the students were going through since they weren’t from the community, Foster said.
“A lot of times, teachers would just thank us for showing up, like, the bare minimum,” Foster said. “There wasn’t a lot to prepare us for higher education. It was kind of like, ‘You guys are here to check the box.’”
Foster’s father introduced him to Pepperdine because he worked in the warehouse and his older sister helped him apply. He didn’t consider looking for any other colleges to apply to.
“I wrote my essays and she helped me with some revisions, but I didn’t really know much else,” Foster said. “I mean, I looked up online, ‘How do you apply to Pepperdine?’ and found the application through that.”
Foster decided to major in Sports Medicine after shadowing an athletic trainer in high school. With some encouragement from the athletic trainer, he realized he wanted to pursue physical therapy.
Finding Every Opportunity to Grow
In an attempt to support first-generation college students, Pepperdine offers a Summer Bridge to College Leadership Program to help incoming students transition into the rigor of higher education.
Foster was one of 30 students in the first cohort of the program, said Marissa Davis, the previous director of the Seaver Student Success Center.
“Once he came to the Summer Bridge program, he really jumped in with both feet,” Davis said. “He spent the time getting to know his fellow cohort members, making friends. I remember he attended every information session, even the optional ones, and took the time to get to know all of the different resources and opportunities.”
The program helped Foster hit the ground running, where he became familiar with the campus and well connected with the community.
Davis said the transition to college life and academic rigor can be an adjustment for anyone. For first-gen students, it is often just having the courage to ask questions and navigate the different resources the school offers.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help,” Foster said. “A lot of times, we feel, especially when we’re doing something new, ‘Oh, I should be able to do this on my own’ or ‘I don’t know why I can’t,’ but just asking for help is a big one.”
Chemistry Professor Todd Bennett and Sports Medicine Professor Rachel Tan have been integral mentors throughout his time at Pepperdine, Foster said.
“[Professor Bennett] really cares for the students, and even to this day, whenever I have a life thing, or I’m applying to grad school right now and there are applications, I go to him and talk to him about it,” Foster said.
Foster has found similar support from Davis as well.
“A lot of times, people just need a little boost of encouragement, and sometimes we all just need someone to bounce our ideas off of,” Davis said. “I’d like to think I was helpful to encourage him, but really he’s an amazing kid and took the initiative on his own.”
Foster plans events for Pepperdine Athletics, serves as a First Wave ambassador for the Student Success Center and founded the first pre-physical therapy club on campus. He’s also co-president for Love Does in Action, a club that partners with Bob Goff’s organization, Love Does, to do outreach projects across various communities. And off-campus, he works at a physical therapy clinic, Foster said.
“Despite all his accolades and achievements and how busy he is with working, interning, class, tutoring, all the things, Justin is never too busy to help out a fellow first-gen,” Davis said. “He’s very humble and down to earth.”
Foster said his faith and experience as a first-gen student has helped shape his values and perspective on life.
“It gives you an ability to stop and listen to what someone else is feeling, thinking or even going through,” Foster said. “If someone’s not doing too well, it might not be their fault, might be the circumstances they’re in or around. I know for myself, being first-gen and wanting to give back to people who are in underprivileged communities is a big part of my life and how I want to live my life.”
Foster Shines in His Research
Foster conducts research alongside Tan, someone who Foster said is really supportive and constantly pushes him to be his best.
“I was so impressed with how he conducted himself and how curious he was that I invited him to a summer awarded intern research that following summer,” Tan said. “He was, at that time, the youngest researcher that I believe I’ve ever taken on to my group.”
Foster has received several awards and co-authored a publication with Tan, which is rare at the undergraduate level. He’s worked on four other papers and presented at multiple conferences, Tan said.
Foster is currently applying to graduate school for physical therapy.
“As a physical therapist, you get to help people recover from an injury — it sounds pretty straight up, but in reality, you’re able to restore something that someone’s lost in their life,” Foster said. “It’s where someone feels vulnerable in their life and you get to give that back to them and the confidence over that part of themselves again.”
His continuous motivation in wanting to succeed is for his family, for everyone he grew up with who didn’t go to college because of their circumstances — to show people who are in underprivileged communities that it can be done, Foster said.
“Don’t be afraid to be your biggest advocate — you’re not always going to have people fighting for you and keep pushing at something even through failure,” Foster said. “Keep advocating for yourself — whether that be trying to get a job, trying to do well in class — keep knocking on that professor’s door until they answer.”
_________________________________
Follow Currents Magazine on X: @PeppCurrents and Instagram: @currentsmagazine
Contact Christine Park via email: christine.park@pepperdine.edu
