Poppy Garofalo
Staff Writer
No one can explain how fast four years at Pepperdine fly by better than a graduating senior. In their final semesters, students suddenly face the realization that in a few months they will truly be on their own for the first time in their lives.
Reality is the word many people use to describe life after college and there are few who want to face such responsibility alone. Perhaps, this is the cause of the phenomenon jokingly known on campus as the “senior scramble,” as engagements start being announced like popcorn.
These Pepperdine engagements are ahead of the curve, since in 2000 the average age when Americans married was 26.8 years old for men and 25.1 for women, according to Encarta Encyclopedia. To understand the seemingly large number of students engaged during their last year at Pepperdine, a closer look at a few such couples might help explain why.
Seniors Lahela Sheldon and Kyle Isaacson have been together for a little over two years, but they knew from the very beginning that marriage was in their future.
“I feel as if God had spoken to us,” Sheldon said.
She does admit that other couples her own age seem young to be getting married, but for her and Isaacson this is “the natural next step.”
This pair is not only facing marriage, but also the criticism of outsiders. It’s not unexpected for such a young couple to face skepticism when considering marriage, but Sheldon has noticed a surprising source of stress for seniors.
“Couples beginning to date feel pressure (to get engaged) from those who are already engaged,” Sheldon said.
The couple met in Heidelberg, quickly facing their first obstacle as a couple. Sheldon was staying for the year, however, Isaacson returned to Pepperdine at the semester.
“It was the beginning of our relationship, but it was tough,” Sheldon said. “We were apart for four months, but, at that point, we weren’t used to seeing each other everyday either.”
As it turns out, two couples from the just over 50 Heidelberg participants from 2002-2003 are engaged, fueling the rumor mill that love potion pours instead of tap water in the Germany program.
Senior Alyssa Rosenbaum, an RA in Heidelberg for the same overseas program, described the setting as “so intense” since couples are constantly together.
“It’s cool when it works out,” Rosenbaum said. “It’s such a different experience from the real world so it’s a challenge for couples to make their relationship work back in the states.”
Sheldon and Isaacson are set to marry June 4 in Oregon, Sheldon’s home-state. They both are going to graduate school to obtain their master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, hoping to practice co-therapy together.
A picture of their engagement would not be complete without Sheldon’s description of the proposal. One night, while on a double-date, the couple stopped to help a broken-down flower delivery van. Sheldon and the other couple delivered flowers for the rest of the night, with the last delivery arriving to Sheldon’s house. Inside, Isaacson was waiting with rose petals, candles and a ring.
Sheldon and Isaacson have a clear outlook for their future together.
Likewise senior Tamsyn Anderson has a storybook romance to tell. High-school sweethearts, Anderson and her long-time boyfriend, Brad Miller, are among graduating seniors who are engaged.While Miller does not attend Pepperdine, the couple has remained together for the past four-and-a-half years.
After facing the challenges of a long-distance relationship, Anderson and Miller feel confident in the strength of their connection. They were engaged in June and have set the date for June 25 of this year.
The pair has already made plans for its future. Anderson is taking a year off before enrolling in a three-year doctorate program in physical therapy. In the meantime, Miller will be studying for his master’s degree in history and religious studies.
Being so young opens the couple to possible outside criticism.
“It depends on whether they know us or not,” Anderson said. “Most people are excited for us. They know we’ve been together for four and a half years.”
While Anderson and Miller have been planning their marriage for the past year, Dominic Manna and Melissa Parks only recently became engaged. The pair has been together for the past two-and-a-half years, but the proposal didn’t come until two weeks ago.
“I took her to the beach on a Saturday night,” Manna said. “I hid dinner and a blanket in the trunk of my car. I wanted to surprise her.”
Careful preparation paid off for Manna when Parks accepted his proposal, so now he’s making plans for their future.
Parks wants to attend graduate school locally and Manna will either continue at his job or begin a new career with a different company.
They are going to move to Santa Monica, beginning their new life in a familiar setting.
Graduation brings a sense of completion to seniors at the same moment that the entire world is opened up before them. These three senior couples know one thing for certain: they will be beginning the next phase of their lives together.
02-02-2005
