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Pepperdine Hosts Step Up Women’s Network College Connections Conference

Over 120 participants flocked to Pepperdine’s Malibu campus Saturday, Oct. 8, to attend the third annual Step Up Women’s Network College Connections Conference hosted by Seaver Admission. The day was filled with college access programming and mentorship between professional women mentors and high school girls from underserved, under-resourced communities in Los Angeles.  

"Seaver Admission engages in much outreach, but we're particularly excited to work with a group that is already treasured within the Pepperdine family," notes director of Admission Laura Kalinkewicz.

Law & Order star Elisabeth Rohm participated as a panelist during the panel discussion in the afternoon, where she shared her own experiences and inspired the young women to pursue higher education.

Actors Tatiana Ali (Fresh Prince of Bel Air) and Sara Ramirez (Grey's Anatomy) participated as mentors and were paired one-on-one with teen girls to support their journeys to college. They encouraged their mentees throughout various conference workshops and activities, serving as sources of inspiration and motivation and sharing their own personal college journeys.

Step Up Women's Network is a national non-profit active in three cities. The organization seeks to connect professional women and advance girls through mentorship, education, programming, and networking.

Above: Seaver student Carmen Izquierdo and actress Elisabeth Rohm

Below: the Step Up conference group