First-year Victoria Garcia and WAVES WORSHIP smile at their October songwriting retreat in Big Bear. As one of the youngest members of the group, Garcia said she’s grateful for the mentors she can look up to. Photo courtesy of Victoria Garcia
College can be an unfamiliar and intimidating experience, especially when it requires moving away from family and friends. For many of Pepperdine‘s first-year students, the past year has been a whirlwind of new friendships, unexpected opportunities and lessons about balancing responsibilities with relationships.
Nearing the end of their first year, students reflected on the moments that defined their experience, from sorority and fraternity involvement to spontaneous adventures with friends. Their stories highlight the excitement of a new journey, challenges that come with independence and lessons of personal growth they hope to carry into their sophomore year.
“I feel like I lived through every moment,” first-year Victoria Garcia said. “I have so many experiences to look back on, but it just came and went in the blink of an eye.”
Moments That Defined a Year of Firsts
Garcia, a member of Pepperdine Cheer, WAVES WORSHIP, The Well, Dance in Flight (DIF) and Pepperdine’s inaugural “For Greater Purpose” social media ambassador program, said this year has gone better than she could have imagined.
“By being here, I’m walking in the path God has set for me,” Garcia said.
Her favorite memories are the DIF shows in March and the WAVES WORSHIP songwriting retreat last October, Garcia said. After attending a competitive art school in her hometown, DIF reintroduced her to her love for dance and the heart of why she loves doing it.
“Dance is an important part of my life, so being able to continue that in an environment that was spiritually uplifting warms my heart,” Garcia said. “Everyone’s heart for the Lord in that group is so inspiring to me.”
Garcia said she participated in weekly Bible studies that Caroline Rainey, DIF’s spiritual life leader, led every Saturday morning before rehearsal.
“It was awesome to learn from her,” Garcia said. “It set the tone for rehearsals and my heart posture — to remember I was doing it for His glory and not my own.”
Victoria Garcia and other Dance in Flight company members pose in the HITS Fitness Studio on Feb. 23. Garcia led a leaps and turns technique class and a contemporary community class. Photo courtesy of Victoria Garcia
Garcia said another highlight of her year was going to Big Bear with WAVES WORSHIP for their songwriting retreat, where they spent the weekend in God’s presence writing songs.
“Each and every single one of them has such a unique and beautiful insight on the Lord, who He is and His character,” Garcia said. “I have learned so much from them as mentors, and so much beauty came out of that.”
First-year Mel Dott is a member of Pepperdine’s Psi Upsilon (Psi U) fraternity. He said he takes pride in his brotherhood group because they are the only service-based fraternity on campus.
“One night they sent us to The Well and we had to write a two-page paper about the sermon, which was the coolest ‘horrible punishment,’” Dott said.
First-year Sasha Lindgren said she would describe the year as unexpectedly wonderful, since Pepperdine was not her original plan. She was initially set to take a gap year, but she decided to commit to Pepperdine at 11:30 p.m. on April 30 — the night before National College Decision Day.
“I’ve gotten the chance to have a really great experience,” Lindgren said. “I love the people I’m with, I’ve met good people.”
Her favorite memories were with her suitemates, whom she’s grown close to, Lindgren said.
“We took a [weekend] road trip up the coast [to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo] after a month and a half of knowing each other, but we were already so close and comfortable,” Lindgren said.
Lessons Learned Along the Way
Garcia said one thing she’s taking away from her first year of college is to choose wisely what she wants to participate in so that she has enough time for her friends.
“If I want to be able to really slow down and make genuine connections and really pour into those relationships, I need to not throw myself into every single thing possible,” Garcia said.
Dott said this year has led him to gain more confidence in his singing abilities, especially with the help of Kelly Todd, assistant instructor of Teaching of Theatre in the Fine Arts Division.
“My technique has become a lot more refined, and my belief in myself in a professional setting surrounded by people my age [has grown],” Dott said.
Lindgren said she came in with the mindset of making the most out of her first year. For her, this included getting as involved as possible and saying yes to all events during New Student Orientation Week, which gave her amazing experiences on the back end.
“There’s no harm in getting to know people and getting to be friends with everyone,” Lindgren said. “No matter who they are, just being kind and friendly, especially at the start, is a huge thing and a good life skill.”
Lindgren said she never felt inclined to rush, but she ended up participating in the sorority recruitment process and landed with Pi Beta Phi.
“[My sorority has] given me a lot of my favorite little memories of experiences, so I think that’s one of the totally unexpected things that’s been really enjoyable,” Lindgren said.
Sasha Lindgren and her Pi Beta Phi sisters dress up for their formal at the Malibu Pier on Nov. 8. Lindgren said joining a sorority was not on her radar, but it has become one of her favorite aspects of the Pepperdine experience. Photo courtesy of Sasha Lindgren
However, Lindgren said learning to balance involvement with taking care of herself has been challenging. She was sick for much of her first semester because she wanted to do everything.
“It was really hard to be like, ‘I need to do well in school, while meeting people, while doing this and that,’” Lindgren said. “The balance has honestly been the hardest part of all — trying to say yes to everything yet say no for myself.”
Looking Ahead to Sophomore Year
As an upcoming Spiritual Life Advisor (SLA) next year, Garcia said she wants to learn how to have a life outside of school and her extracurriculars.
“The whole point of that role is to be there for my residents, so it’s going to force me to learn how to slow down and be readily available to those people that need me,” Garcia said.
Dott said he is most looking forward to meeting the incoming group of Theatre majors.
“I can’t wait to mentor them and joke about the things I’ve already been through, because a lot of sophomores did that [to me] this year, and now I get to do that next year,” Dott said.
Next year, Lindgren will study abroad in the Florence, Italy, International Program. She said she wants to treat her year abroad like the beginning of her first year: get as involved as possible, meet as many people as possible and be as open as possible.
“I want to fully immerse myself as much as possible and really interact with the culture while I’m there,” Lindgren said. “Not just being a Pepperdine student studying abroad, but trying to actually immerse myself in it.”
Advice for the Next Class of Waves
Garcia said she recommends that first-years get involved as much as they can, but only within reason.
“If it’s something that fills your cup, do it and make sure you still have time to slow down and really be with the people around you,” Garcia said.
Garcia is roommates with fellow Nursing major Victoria Valdez. She said she got lucky with her roommate, but living with other people is different than she imagined.
“Living with other people taught me a lot about being independent, taking care of my space and my own stuff and having a schedule that doesn’t affect my roommate’s ability to sleep,” Garcia said.
Victoria Garcia (left) and Victoria Valdez (right) pose in front of the Amphitheater on Sept. 5. The pair chose to room together and are coincidentally both Nursing majors, Garcia said. Photo courtesy of Victoria Garcia
Dott said he would advise incoming students to stay on campus, even if they are from nearby cities. Despite the fact he is from Westlake Village, a 35-minute drive away, he only goes home once a month because staying on campus allows him to use his time more productively.
“It forces you to hang out with college friends on the weekend, forces you to meet people or find something new to do,” Dott said.
Dott came in with the notion that college is the opportunity to reshape himself, so he initially presented himself inauthentically, he said. However, once he let himself be true to who he is, he was able to make more friends and build real connections.
“I’m learning that I came in wanting to be perceived in a certain light, but the second all of that dropped, it just got better and better,” Dott said.
Lindgren said that the Pepperdine experience is what you make of it, that it comes down to putting yourself out there, a positive mindset and how you decide to approach the adventure.
“It will be great if you choose to make it great,” Lindgren said. “You can flourish anywhere, but only if you’re willing to.”
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Contact Jordan Baquiran via email: jordanisabel.baquiran@pepperdine.edu