The sign for the Alumni Affairs office stands on the second floor of the Thornton Administrative Center on March 27. Students can visit the office to connect with Pepperdine alumni and learn more about their options after college. Photo by Rochelle Williams
Each year, as a new undergraduate class crosses the stage at their commencement ceremony, they join the group of over 100,000 Pepperdine alumni, according to Pepperdine’s By the Numbers webpage.
Pepperdine’s Alumni Affairs office serves to connect alumni with members of the Pepperdine community and help new graduates acclimate to life outside of Malibu, said Matt Ebeling, associate vice chancellor of Alumni Affairs.
“There’s a supportive network that still awaits them after they graduate,” Ebeling said. “It doesn’t stop immediately when they get their diploma.”
Waves in Malibu
While students are still at Pepperdine, the Alumni Affairs office serves to connect students with Pepperdine alumni through events and networking opportunities to help both groups adjust to life post-graduation, Ebeling said.
“It’s easier for them to envision being in their shoes after graduation,” Ebeling said. “Seeing what it looks like to give back, seeing what it looks like to be stable.”
Connecting alumni with current students helps them envision what lies ahead of them after graduation, giving them a sense of what is possible beyond college and helps graduated Waves stay connected to the Pepperdine community, Ebeling said.
Ebeling said the Student Alumni Organization (SAO) also works as part of the Alumni Affairs office to bridge the gap between students and alumni.
“SAO will plan events throughout the school year that students can experience that—for the most part — always involve alumni who are coming and speaking and sharing their own personal and professional journeys and stories,” Ebeling said.
By fostering these relationships, the Alumni Affairs office hopes to create a cycle of Pepperdine community members giving back to each other, Ebeling said.
“Alumni start discovering their strengths, leaning into them, finding out their true power and really serving in the world,” Ebeling said. “They get to a point where they have a lot of authority and influence and impact to be able to take that blessing.”
Balloons and light-up letters mark a picture spot at Waves Weekend during the annual alumni and family picnic in October. Photo by Rochelle Williams.
Waves Weekend
Every fall semester, Pepperdine hosts Waves Weekend, which unites alumni and Pepperdine families in a weekend packed with events. The intent behind this weekend is to reunite Waves from all over annually, said Hung Le, senior vice chancellor for Alumni Affairs.
“Why not bring us all together and make it a whole Waves Weekend?” Le said.
The Waves Weekend itinerary includes class decade reunions, student/alumni picnics, networking opportunities and Blue & Orange Madness. Waves Weekend encourages community members to come back to Malibu for this annual event, Le said.
“In addition to the decade reunions, we also put together group reunions,” Le said. “We give our alumni multiple reasons to come back.”
During Waves Weekend, reunions take place for classes, clubs, organizations and international programs bringing together many groups and generations of Waves for one weekend a year.
Waves Beyond
Around 80% of Pepperdine students study abroad during their four years and many students view it as a defining part of their college experience, Chad Quiñones, director of alumni engagement, said.
“We want to foster that moving forward and really give them the attention that they deserve because they had such a great experience and it’s something that ties that group together,” Quiñones said.
Alumni Affairs holds a grand international program reunion during Waves Weekend where they celebrate one program each year. The following summer, Alumni Affairs hosts a trip to this abroad location for any Pepperdine community members and their loved ones to attend, according to Pepperdine Alumni Reunions.
“You have that shared understanding of what it’s like to go abroad to a specific city,” Quiñones said. “And a lot of alumni didn’t have the opportunity to travel abroad so this is a brand new opportunity for alumni to experience that.”
For alumni who studied abroad, these trips allow them the chance to reconnect with their host country, program staff and return to their program homes. For alumni who didn’t get to study abroad, this is an opportunity for them to experience a new aspect of Pepperdine, according to Pepperdine Alumni Reunions.
On a larger scale, the Alumni Affairs office supports Waves that move to a new place after graduation to start their careers or attend graduate school.
“There are challenges getting acclimated to new careers,” Ebeling said. “So one of the ways that Pepperdine likes to come alongside alumni in that transition time is to build and breathe life into communities of Pepperdine people in major regions.”
Ebeling said Alumni Affairs plans events in various regions to build community among Waves that live in the same area to help them build networks of support after college.
No matter where Pepperdine students end up after graduation, the Alumni Affairs office stays ready to help find a piece of Malibu wherever they are.
“Once you leave here, it’s not a goodbye,” Le said. “It is an opportunity to move on to the next chapter while still remaining a part of the community.”
_________________________________
Follow the Graphic on X: @PeppGraphic
Contact Rochelle Williams via email: rochelle.williams@pepperdine.edu
