Often, people paint taking risks as a daunting endeavor, one that comes with many unknowns and can lead to either potential failures or great success.
But embracing risk-taking can lead to some of the most transformative experiences in life. While the safety of the familiar can be comforting, students said stepping out of their comfort zone is where they have seen true growth happen.
Students and alumni at Pepperdine University have experienced how taking chances changed their lives. Many of them said they feel the urgent need to take a risk in order to reach their full potential.
“If you set a goal that you know you can accomplish 100%, you aren’t thinking high enough,” senior Charisma Greenfield said.
Failure isn’t something to be feared but rather embraced as a natural part of growth. Connie Horton, the vice president of Student Affairs, said risk-taking is anything that stretches and challenges someone, with the realization of the important lesson that ‘life goes on.’
Leaving the Comfort Zone
Oftentimes, risk-taking cultivates independence. As a first-generation college student, Greenfield said she faced immense pressure to succeed and make the most out of her education.
During her time at Pepperdine, Greenfield said she was very determined to succeed at her biggest dream of graduating a year early and taking the LSAT at 20 years old. This was to save both money and time, while also challenging herself by graduating three semesters early.
“I wanted to enjoy my 20s by getting the hard work and grind out of the way,” Greenfield said.
This was something many of her advisors didn’t understand, and it was very hard to convince them to create the schedule she wanted and needed in order for her to reach this goal.
“When I came in with a plan and said help me accomplish it, they really respected that,” Greenfield said.
This wasn’t easy. Whenever she thought about tackling this intimidating goal in such a short period of time, she said she would panic. The key to meeting her goal was confidence and commitment. She graduates this December.
For junior Justin Ramos, leaving his home state of New York to attend Pepperdine was a major decision. The allure of staying close to family and friends was tempting, but Ramos said he knew that staying in a familiar environment would prevent him from truly growing.
He applied to a few schools around the country, but when visiting Pepperdine, it “all felt right,” he said. As soon as he arrived in Malibu, he fell in love with it.
“If I hadn’t come here, I would have never met all the great friends I have now,” Ramos said. “And they’ve changed my life in ways I couldn’t have imagined.”
Pepperdine felt different and lonely at times, but in the back of Ramos’ head, he said he knew he needed to take this risk to experience life better.
For Greenfield and Ramos, stepping outside their comfort zones meant gaining the confidence to face future challenges on their own terms.
When 2023 graduate Michael Koo was a junior at Pepperdine, he received a Fulbright Grant through the U.S. government, which involved moving to Taiwan for a one-year program to teach English.
Before the big move, he said he felt a lot of anxiety, but as with all risk taking, he tried to avoid getting in his head about it too much.
Upon arriving, doing simple things like getting a Chinese bank account or phone number was difficult because of the language barrier. Situations like this made it all worth it, because toward the end Koo realized he knew Taiwan better than he knew his home in the States, making him truly feel like a local.
“Taking risks teaches you to be comfortable being alone and to not rely on others,” Koo said.
His year in Taiwan became a journey of self-discovery and personal empowerment.
For Ramos, taking risks in his life has taught him to be his own person.
“I don’t have to rely on the people around me, I can do my own things. I can take responsibility for myself. I can be who I want to be,” Ramos said. “I feel like that’s the most important thing, if you’re not true to yourself, then how can you be true to others.”
From Failure to Success: Learning Through Taking Risks
2023 Pepperdine graduate Jess Velicer faced one of her biggest life decisions when she decided to give up her childhood dream of becoming a surgeon. After chasing this dream since middle school, she said she realized the large commitment to school took her away from her personal life, and that wasn’t the life she had envisioned for herself.
“I was just going about my life trying to figure out what I wanted to do, and honestly, I had absolutely no clue at that point,” Velicer said. “It kind of felt like my world had been turned upside down.”
While leaving her original career path behind was a risk that came with fear and uncertainty, Velicer said she took the leap and started a business, Marine Microgreens. This is a vertical farm specializing in locally grown, nutrient-rich microgreens for farmer’s markets, restaurants and grocery stores across Southern California.
“I decided that starting a business would be one of the only ways that I could actually build a life that I truly wanted and that was [a life] where I got to make all the decisions,” Velicer said. “So I think that’s what was the original motivation, really just being able to build a life of a choice for myself.”
She said she now can’t imagine her life without this business.
“I don’t think you’ll ever understand your true capabilities if you don’t take risks,” Velicer said. “If you play it safe in life, you’re never going to know what you’re capable of or reach your full potential.”
Colleen Ballatore, who left Pepperdine at the end of her sophomore year to pursue her dream of attending culinary school, echoed Velicer’s sentiments. After years of wanting to follow a more traditional educational path, Ballatore couldn’t shake her passion for cooking.
“As time went on, I just kept thinking about it more and more, and I felt like I just got to a point where I was like, if I didn’t do it in that moment I wouldn’t end up doing it,” Ballatore said.
Though there were moments of doubt and fear of judgment from others, Ballatore said she learned to not care what people think because ultimately, it is her life.
“With risk comes obviously being uncomfortable, and I just feel like it’s so important to be uncomfortable to be able to grow,” Ballatore said. “If you’re not ever uncomfortable and growing, you’re just stuck in the same place.”
Finding Fulfillment Through the Unknown
For many people, taking risks is synonymous with facing uncertainty. It’s natural to fear the unknown, yet embracing uncertainty is what makes risk-taking so transformative. The risk a person takes in itself can be valuable, but then the result you gain from it is deeper, Horton said.
“I can make a choice, and I may not know what’s going to happen exactly, but I can take a risk, and I can find my way,” Horton said.
Koo said taking the leap to move to Taiwan not only helped him develop a new sense of independence, but also changed the way he viewed opportunities.
“I always say it’s better to do something and realize you don’t like it than to not do it and regret it,” Koo said.
Even when the outcome isn’t what one expected, the lessons learned from the journey are what make the experience worthwhile, Horton said.
Risk taking leads to self-discovery. It’s about stepping away from the expectations of others and finding one’s own path. Whether it’s leaving home, changing majors or starting a new business, each of these students and alumni said they found a deeper sense of purpose and fulfillment by taking the risks that felt right for them.
“Your whole life is a question, you’re always gonna wonder about the ‘what ifs,’” Ramos said. “If you don’t take risks, you’re never going to become your own person.”
Velicer said some people like to live life with a safe approach, and sometimes she envies that. But risks have always been a part of who she is.
“Once you take that first risk, you’re always just going to keep taking more, and your life will only get better because of it,” Ramos said.
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Contact Anežka Lišková via email: anezka.liskova@pepperdine.edu
