Photo by Megan Williams
Communication Professor Anastasia Triviza experienced culture shock when she first moved to Los Angeles.
Having grown up in Greece, she later studied in New York City for her master’s degree. Once in LA, she soon realized she needed a car to get from one place to another.
“I thought I could take the bus to go to work in Redondo Beach from Newport Beach,” Triviza said. “I had to take three buses.”
Triviza has been an adjunct professor at Pepperdine since 2009, teaching communication graphics.
After completing her undergraduate degree in Athens, Triviza, then 24, first moved to Brooklyn to study at the Pratt Institute School of Design. She said her interest in graphic design grew from her love for both drawing and writing, providing a solution as to how she could engage with both mediums in a more applied way.
Triviza moved to Los Angeles after completing her master’s to commence her career as a magazine writer for Marie Claire magazine, a women’s publication.
The sheer population density of LA was far bigger than New York and Athens, both places where everything is within walking distance.
“Both Athens and New York have easily accessible culture like art exhibitions and museums that you can walk to,” Triviza said.
Comparing LA to Athens, Triviza said they share a culture of being “laid back” and “chill.” She emphasized that there’s an undeniable culture of humanity and hospitality in Greece, a notion she compared to the culture she has experienced while in LA.
Now living in Santa Monica and working at Pepperdine, she loves living by the ocean — a characteristic of Pepperdine’s campus she appreciates considering her lack of easy access to the beach while in New York.
Having previously taught at other LA schools, including Santa Monica College and University of Southern California, she sees differences among the students across these schools. Triviza said Pepperdine students have an optimistic and cheerful way about them that she appreciates.
“It’s a very kind culture,” Triviza said. “You feel like people look after each other.”
Triviza still visits Greece at least once a year to see her family, but firmly appreciates the life that she has created in the United States alongside the community she’s established at Pepperdine.
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Email Sarah Best: sarah.best@pepperdine.edu
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