Second-Year Students to Build Sense of Community at Year 2 Welcome
On August 20, 2021, after more than a year of remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Malibu campus became lively again as more than 260 second-year Seaver College students and their families began the Year 2 Welcome experience, an event carefully crafted by the Student Activities team to foster belonging and connection for second-year students.
As one of the most unique classes with most students, whether sophomores or transfers, graduating high school and beginning their college experiences in remote learning environments, director of Student Activities Brittany Skinner mobilized her team to support Year 2 students’ integration into the in-person environment with hospitality, Class of 2024 identity and spirit, and Pepperdine community relationships.
“I think the thing I'm most excited for in the second-year student experience is to finally be on campus and meet the rest of my class face-to-face,” shared Student Government Association (SGA) senator Sabrina Musharbash. “I know a lot of us have been looking forward to being on campus, and I'm excited that we get to experience the Year 2 Welcome to make up for a lot of the events we missed this past year.”
The Year 2 Welcome experience features six days of programming during which students will hear from Pepperdine president Jim Gash (JD ’93), receive campus tours, and participate in an off-campus retreat at Forest Home, an outdoor camp in San Bernardino, California. Parents and families will also be able to participate in a weekend of programming to support their students' move-in and learn how they, as parents and families of a Pepperdine student, can get involved with the community as well.
“It’s been a challenge to form connections this past year,” reflects Lydia Duperier, a sophomore journalism major. “I am thrilled for the Year 2 experience, and I think it will be a great way for people to get that connection we’ve all been missing.”
SGA representatives, resident advisors, and fellow class members know the task of welcoming their peers to campus will not stop after the Year 2 Welcome concludes, but they are eager for the foundation the experience will provide for their classmates.
“A concern many have voiced going into this new year is how they feel lost academically and socially because of the pandemic,” Musharbash shares. “I really want to be able to spend this next year in SGA addressing those concerns so they don’t have to navigate college by themselves.”