Lindsey Boerma
Staff Writer
“I know the price of success — dedication, hard work and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen.” When architect Frank Lloyd Wright said these words he was not referring to Pepperdine Senior Amber McMahon, but he certainly could have been.
McMahon, an international communications major, knows the value of being goal-oriented. Her numerous extracurricular activities, along with her passion for “all things international,” have helped to point her in the direction for reaching her ambition: to change lives around the world.
How did you choose international studies as your major?
Well, I’ve taken French, which is my minor, since junior high, and I’ve just always liked languages. In eighth grade I lived in Cambridge, England for six months and I’d say it was then that I really became obsessed with traveling and everything international.
What languages have you studied?
Let’s see. I can speak French, German, Biblical Greek, a little Spanish, and a very little bit of Mandarin.
What other activities have you been involved in throughout your college career?
Well, I’m president of Students for Democracy and I do intramural sports — especially soccer. I’m in Pi Delta Phi, which is the French National Honor Society and Sigma Iota Rho, which is International Relations. I’m an NSO Counselor, a member of Riptide, and I work in Student Activities. I’m sure there are more, but that’s what I can think of right now. Oh, and I studied abroad in Heidelberg. That’s an important one.
Wow, so was it hard leaving all these activities for a year while you were in Germany?
No, it really wasn’t because travel and Europe was what I loved most. It was definitely worth it, and I value that experience and the friends I made overseas more than anything.
Do you hope to work international studies and travel into your future career?
Yeah, I’m really into linguistics, but since Pepperdine doesn’t really offer any kind of linguistics major, I hope to go to graduate school to study that first. Then I’d really like to work for Wycliffe Bible Translators because there are like 3,000 languages that don’t have a New Testament Translation, plus I love traveling and it’s just so interesting. Also, I went to Costa Rica and fell in love with Central America, so I’d really like to go back to teach English in an elementary school there. And then I love soccer, so another possible career is working in media relations for a professional soccer team because I worked in soccer media relations for two years with the San Jose Earthquakes, a professional soccer team.
It seems like you’re really interested in helping others through linguistics. Have you done anything along those lines already?
Well, when I was in Costa Rica I bought a soccer ball and gave it to this little kid, and he loved it. So, since then, my sister and I have started a non-profit organization called “Kick Project,” and our goal is just to give soccer balls to little kids around the world. See, I have this theory that soccer is the one true universal language that everyone can agree on. Our first nine soccer balls were actually sent to Kenya this week. Our motto is “One world. One ball. One goal.” It sounds cheesy, but I think it’s really effective. I hope it takes off soon and I think it will because it’s tangible. We’re not ending world hunger. We’re just helping little kids play soccer.
What advice would you give to other students who want to do it all?
I’d just say to go for it. Like, of course stay focused on school, but a huge part of college is getting involved in the things you’re passionate about. My best experiences weren’t academic, but the extra things that I did. You really find out who you are both inside and out by doing what you love.
09-21-2006
