Alumni Come Home for Pepperdine’s Waves Weekend

Waves spirit filled Pepperdine University this October 9 to 11 as hundreds of students, alumni, parents, and friends of the University sporting blue and orange gathered for this year’s Waves Weekend. 

A celebration for the entire University community, the event featured a packed itinerary of activities such as the annual Blue and Orange Madness pep rally—the official start of the Waves basketball season—and the eagerly awaited Madness Village carnival illuminated by bright lights and amusement park rides. Weekenders also enjoyed the Family and Alumni Picnic overlooking the Pacific Ocean and program reunions, including the 40-year anniversary of the Great Books program. Additionally attendees were invited to worship at services held by the University Church of Christ and Waves Church. 

Waves Weekend Carnival

“What joy it was for our students, faculty, and staff to welcome home our beloved alumni and families, our friends and neighbors to this annual celebration,” wrote Hung Le (’87, MA ’03), senior vice chancellor for alumni affairs. “Indeed, these are the days that we will remember, the moments we will cherish, the blessings for which we give God our thanks.” 

Hosted by Alumni Affairs and Student Activities, the event also included the opening of an alumni art showcase at which a number of artists are displaying their paintings and photography, including Alison Rash (’01, MA ’05). Twelve years into surviving her initial cancer diagnosis, Rash has found art to be a means of transforming hardship into beauty, which has led her to display her work in gallery exhibitions around the world. Rash delivered this powerful testimony during a Saturday afternoon devotional to a packed Stauffer Chapel. 

Rash was the recipient of this year’s Wave of Resilience Award presented by Le on Saturday evening at the alumni banquet. “Nobody becomes resilient on their own,” said Rash during the acceptance of her award. “And part of what has carried me in the past 12 years are the relationships with all the people sitting at these tables, the relationships I made here at Pepperdine.”

Alongside the Wave of Resilience Award, Le presented the Wave of Purpose Award to alumnus Bob White (’83), director of the YES Partnership at the Amador Tuolumne Community Action Agency, a coalition that provides young people and their families with community support and positive mentorship to promote mental wellness and prevent substance abuse. 

“Bob used his Blue Zone project certification to change the lives of hundreds of people by helping them discover their purpose and live with a greater sense of meaning,” said Le as he presented White’s award. “Bob lives out his faith powerfully by using his gifts to make life more abundant. Bob, you inspire us, and for so many more reasons, we honor you as our Wave of Purpose winner.” 

Left: Bob White (’83) receives his Wave of Purpose Award; Right: Ali Rash (’01, MA ’05) with her Wave of Resilience Award

For all alumni and students who studied abroad in Argentina, the Buenos Aires Grand Reunion celebrated the program’s 26th anniversary. A morning gathering was hosted by Pepperdine president Jim Gash (JD ’93) and first lady Joline Gash (’92). Sister Vero, who has led ministry and service work with the University’s Buenos Aires program for more than 20 years, attended as the event’s special guest. Throughout the weekend, attendees had the opportunity to reconnect with Sister Vero over home-cooked meals, a passion of hers that has led her to host her own televised cooking show in Argentina. 

Buenos Aires Reunion members meet with the Gashs (left)

Within the classrooms of Seaver College’s Business Administration Division, students were encouraged to connect with alumni over career and life advice through a dedicated Back-to-School Day. Additional learning opportunities came by way of alumna and renowned classical singer Jessica Rivera Shafer (’95), who taught a masterclass to Seaver’s music students on Friday. Shaffer also gifted a treasured piano of hers to the University, an occasion which included a performance during affinity reunion time.

Heartily welcoming graduate students into the festivities, a Master of Science in Management and Leadership (MSML) Champions Leadership Lab event took place on Saturday. Such a convening featured more than 15 speakers who focused on sharing leadership development, while opening the floor to candid conversations, practical lessons, and peer connection. 

Yet for all the Pepperdine family who were unable to attend the Malibu celebration, Pepperdine’s West Los Angeles campus hosted a networking mixer to reminisce on shared memories while expanding professional opportunities. “The Waves Weekend West LA Networking Mixer allowed our graduate school alumni to celebrate their Pepperdine connection closer to home while still feeling part of the larger University tradition,” shared Renee Dorn (EdD ’13), director of alumni engagement at Pepperdine’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology. 

A resounding alumni voice for the weekend, Virginia Garza (’94) happily shared that she returns consistently to Waves Weekend for the irreplaceable feeling of homecoming. Now a Pepperdine parent whose son attends Seaver, Garza said, “Waves Weekend is always a delight for me because returning to the community  brings back so many memories. Pepperdine is my second family, so it is such a joy and a treasure to reunite with everyone.” 

For more on this year’s Waves Weekend and upcoming events, visit the event’s official website.