Four Decades of Waves Alumni Reunite in Florence

Under the shade of Florence’s terracotta-tiled roofs, Pepperdine alumni gathered once again to walk the stone paths they first explored as students while studying abroad. 

Traveling to Italy for a five-day stay, alumni of Pepperdine's Florence program returned to the birthplace of the Renaissance from July 8 to 12 to celebrate a continued love for their study abroad experiences and their formative college years. The reunion featured a packed itinerary of guided excursions to lauded landmarks, afternoons and nights of shared meals—including making one’s own pasta and pizza!—as well as time to immerse themselves in the city’s rich artistic and literary history. 

A welcome reception at Pepperdine Villa Di Loreto and Residenza Tagliaferri, the official facility of the Florence international program since 1995, served as the gateway into the cherished reunion, where alumni from a span of more than 40 years reminisced and swapped stories about times of late-night study sessions, Italian language learned along the way, unexpected friendships, and first tastes of Tuscan cuisine.

Florence program alumni reuinted over travels and shared meals in the heart of the city

“Returning to Italy and Europe after all those years was so wonderful! Much ‘life’ has happened since my time there in the ’90s and it was like coming full circle,” wrote alumna Jolene Chaffin (’96) in a shared message among Florence alumni. “Everyone was so kind and open to become friends, even if we didn’t already know each other. This amazing group of people from the Pepperdine community was such a blessing to me!” 

On July 9, the group toured the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella, again viewing Renaissance masterworks by Giotto, Masaccio, and Ghirlandaio, before visiting centuries-old spots such as the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, the world's oldest operating pharmacy, founded by Dominican friars in 1221. 

Alumni with their homemade, heart-shaped pizzas

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Highlights of the group travels also included a performance by renowned soprano and Pepperdine alumna Jessica Rivera Shafer (’95), who performed O Mio Babbino Caro and a rendition of the Lord's Prayer. Shafer was among the first group of students to live and study on the Florence campus when it opened in the summer of 1995, fittingly linking the program's earliest days to its present community. And what's better than opera in Italy?

July 10 brought alumni to the Piazzale Michelangelo, a famous public square known for its sweeping views of the city, followed by a visit to the Italian home of Elizabeth Whatley (’84), Florence program director, for fellowship and pizza making. The day continued with a pasta-making class, giving the group a chance to delight in the actual  hands-on creation of a shared meal. Following dinner, the night offered free time to meander through centuries-old lime mortar architecture and Tuscan tree groves. 

On July 11, the group's last full day in Florence, alumni gathered in the shadow of the Basilica di Santa Croce. There, Don Thompson—who taught Great Books at Pepperdine for more than two decades and served three times as the Florence program's faculty in residence—spoke about Dante's Divine Comedy and the Florentine poet's enduring literary and spiritual relevance, a fitting continuation of a recent alumni book club focused on the same work. 

Alumni with The Statue of Dante Alghieri

“Our journey back to Florence felt like a small chapter from Dante,” says Maurice McTague Derrico, longtime Pepperdine employee, who was joined by her daughter Kelly McTague-Mellinger (’99) for “a multigenerational girls trip to Florence.” She continued: “Finally, Paradiso arrived with a peaceful train ride through the beautiful Tuscan countryside, reminding us that the journey itself is often part of the blessing.”

The closing banquet was held at the iconic Grand Hotel Baglioni, where alumni gathered beneath panoramic views of Florence's skyline speckled with those terracotta roofs. There the group lingered with hugs and gratitude, celebrating a trip that had bridged over four decades of Pepperdine history within a single week. A beautiful highlight of the week took place the following morning before the travels over the Atlantic. Alumni and families gathered to  worship and offer all glory to God through communion, prayer, and song at the Pepperdine Villa Di Loreto. 

“What an incredible joy it was to be with our alumni and families in one of the most spectacular cities in the world,” reflects Hung Le ('87, MA '03), senior vice chancellor of alumni affairs. “The stunning beauty of the birthplace of the Renaissance paled in comparison to the goodness of our community together. It was a life-enriching time, a shared experience that will remain with all of us for a very long time.”  

Chad Quiñones, director of alumni engagement who planned and led the Florence trip, adds that this venture grew out of Pepperdine's annual Waves Weekend Grand Reunion, where each year a designated international program invites its alumni back to reunite and travel together. This time, it was Florence’s turn in a special celebration of the program’s 40th anniversary; registration opened that same weekend in October of 2025, and the response quickly drew 40 years of alumni together. This year Pepperdine will celebrate the Buenos Aires Grand Reunion on Saturday, October 10, 2026 during Waves Weekend. 

Quiñones hopes for this program’s reunion to be an inspiring example for current students, namely, that they can witness how alumni "continue to stay connected with their alma mater, and how their time as students has really shaped who they are as adults, as well as trusting Pepperdine with their travel plans abroad.” 

Learn more about the Pepperdine alumni network.