Leaving home and moving to college to start a new life can be challenging and overwhelming.
Incoming students often feel a wide range of emotions; from the excitement of independence to facing the reality of cultural differences and even loneliness.
Terra Hall, associate dean of Student Affairs for diversity and belonging, said Intercultural Affairs (ICA) is a space where students from different backgrounds, cultures and experiences can come together to share their cultures and inspire others to do the same. It encourages students to find their home away from home.
“As institutions, we play a role in helping students to rebuild and build community in this new space,” Hall said. “We provide comfort, a sense of belonging and identity.”
Amidst national critiques of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, Hall said ICA allows students to find a space where they can be their true selves and surround themselves with people they can connect to and create deep connections with, while also being able to celebrate their identities and feel supported.
There are 23 identity-based clubs at Pepperdine, including ones for first-generation students, neurodiverse students and ones based around gender and sexual orientation. Whether it be through food-related events, cultural nights or just engaging in friendly conversation, Hall said ICA allows students from around the world and all backgrounds to express themselves and feel proud of where they come from.
Celebrating Middle Eastern Identity
Senior Mirna Sophoclis, who was born in Cairo, Egypt, is the founder and current president of the Middle Eastern Student Association (MESA). She moved to the United States when she was 9, and said she has always tried to embrace her Middle Eastern identity. Sophoclis said she was inspired to create MESA after coming back from her time abroad in London in spring 2023.
“When I went abroad, one of my advisors was from the Middle East, and I met several people [from Pepperdine] and realized there’s a lot of us on campus,” Sophoclis said.
Sophoclis said after noticing this connection, she talked to International Studies Professor Amanda Rizkallah about creating a club that would bring together students who are from the Middle East, feel a strong connection to the region or who just want to learn more about Middle Eastern culture.
“A lot of people are not exposed to our culture or are aware of the issues going on in our region, and that’s why we wanted to bring awareness and invite anyone who is interested,” Sophoclis said.
For Sophoclis, being part of MESA has allowed her to find her place at Pepperdine. She said being president has helped her embrace her culture and give underclassmen the opportunity she never had — Middle Eastern representation on campus. As the president of MESA, Sophoclis feels a responsibility to connect with students of similar backgrounds so that they can see MESA as a safe and welcoming place.
Hall emphasized that humans, at their core, desire to be with people who are similar to them. That’s why she said it is so important for students to be able to find community during college. For many students, finding a space where they can feel understood and supported is essential for personal growth and wellbeing.
“If I am not feeling comfortable in a space, I can’t do well,” Hall said. “I am going to have a hard time thriving, and I think that is why we as institutions have to help students in this development.”
Sophoclis said that when she came to Pepperdine as a first-year, she was amazed at how many cultural-based clubs Pepperdine had, but a Middle Eastern club was not one of them.
“I feel like when we created it, it brought a lot of us together,” Sophoclis said. “People who I had known for months and I had no idea they were connected to the Middle East. It was a beautiful way of bringing us together.”
ICA clubs are open to everyone and it encourages people to come together and celebrate culture, Hall said.
“We celebrated our culture, many families and many parents showed up and students who were not even aware of our club would stop and enjoy time with us,” Sophoclis said.
To Sophoclis MESA and ICA are more than just organizations- they are an opportunity to bring people together and share Middle Eastern culture with others. To her, those moments are special and beautiful.
Language, Culture and Community
Nairi Parsekyan, a senior from the San Fernando Valley, said she has been able to continue embracing her Armenian heritage by joining the Armenian Student Association (ASA) and holding multiple leadership positions.
Though she was born in the U.S., Parsekyan said she feels a strong connection to Armenian culture.
Parsekyan’s parents were born in Armenia. Additionally, she attended Armenian school growing up and said her language plays a big role in forming connections and sharing her culture with others.
“Language is a huge part of Armenian culture — when you meet other Armenian people you can easily communicate with them,” Parsekyan said. “It is really important to maintain the language because it makes you feel more connected, through stories and singing.”
ICA, Parsekyan said, has allowed her to find a home away from home. She knew leaving her Armenian family and friends was going to be hard, but joining the Armenian club allowed her to build strong connections and meet people from all over the world.
“I am grateful to say I found community and I had the opportunity to work with other ICA clubs from so many different cultures,” Parsekyan said.
Parsekyan said she feels she needs to have a strong connection with her Armenian culture, and she does that by speaking and writing in Armenian with her friends and family.
“I love having friends who speak Armenian,” Parsekyan said. “My roommates and I switch back and forth to practice.”
Parsekyan said there is a beautiful thing about finding people who grew up similar to her. Whether that be because of cultural or geographical similarities, finding people she can connect with provides comfort and safety, and the Armenian community at Pepperdine gives her that.
There is a Place for Everybody at Pepperdine
Lucas Borrilez, a senior from the East Bay, California, said growing up he struggled to navigate between his Mexican, Puerto Rican and white identities. Borrilez felt like he had to choose one or the other, but through the Latinx Student Association (LSA) he has been able to embrace all of them, and feel proud of his heritage.
“Through LSA I feel super affirmed and confident of myself and I am glad I am now able to talk to other people who feel like they are having an identity crisis,” Borrilez said.
Borrilez said coming to Pepperdine was intimidating for him, and at times he felt like he did not belong, but after joining LSA in fall 2023, he has been able to find people he is glad to call his friends. He said he cannot imagine a Pepperdine without LSA.
“Pepperdine without LSA would be so lonely,” Borrilez said. “We need LSA, it’s so fun to look forward to events checking in on each other, it gives us a space to advocate for one another and find connections that will last for the rest of our lives.”
LSA has allowed Borrilez and other members to embrace their Hispanic heritage and feel proud of it. He said that after joining LSA, he became much more confident in himself and his Spanish skills. Borrilez said he is no longer scared of making mistakes because the LSA community is very accepting.
“We didn’t speak a lot of Spanish in my house and after being in LSA I am so much more comfortable with my Spanish, because I am no longer scared to be judged for not being perfect,” Borrilez said.
Encouraging Belonging
The Trump administration issued a so-called “Dear Colleague Letter” in February instructing universities to review and restrict their diversity, equity and inclusion policies, or lose federal funding. In the wake of the Supreme Court decision overturning affirmative action, also known as race-based admissions policies, the Trump administration argued that any policies or programs based on race were suspect. This led some universities, like the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., to ban all student affinity groups, according to Inside Higher Education.
The Biden administration had already directed universities in August 2023 that any student affinity groups based on race or national origin had to be open to students of all backgrounds, according to Ed Week. Pepperdine’s ICA clubs are open to everyone, Hall said.
President Jim Gash emailed the Pepperdine community Feb. 27 to share that the university was reviewing the implications of the guidance, but asserted that diversity and inclusion were rooted in the university’s Christian faith.
“Pepperdine is distinct in our understanding of biblical belonging as key to fostering a culture of radical hospitality and mutual respect as fellow image-bearers of God,” Gash wrote. “We honor the dignity of every human being and engage with each other as living expressions of God’s creativity, love, and providential care. In our quest for academic excellence and community belonging, we welcome a wide array of people and perspectives into the Pepperdine community as necessary collaborators for enriching thought, scholarship, service and leadership in fulfillment of our Christian and academic mission.”
Myron McClure, director of Intercultural Affairs, said all voices are part of the Pepperdine community, and ICA’s goal is to help students have a great experience so they can thrive.
McClure said that something as simple as offering a welcoming smile can have a positive effect on someone who is having a hard time. It is normal to feel lonely, but ICA is a safe place to talk about those feelings and form strong connections.
“ICA is an open door to your culture, to your faith, to your experiences and we want to learn from you as much as we want to encourage you to achieve your ultimate goal and get that degree,” McClure said. “ICA wants to make your extracurricular experience memorable and enjoyable and encourage and support it so you can go on and serve those beyond the Pepperdine walls.”
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Contact Ana Paula Ruiz Cervantes via email: anapaula.ruizcervantes@pepperdine.edu
