Pepperdine University Student-Veterans Featured on Military Makeover: “Operation Career”

March 23, 2023 – Malibu, CA – Three Pepperdine University student-veterans will be featured on Military Makeover's Special Edition: “Operation Career,” a new series based on the award-winning home-makeover show, Military Makeover with Montel.
 
Hosted by talk show legend and military advocate Montel Williams, Military Makeover's Special Edition: “Operation Career,” travels the country capturing stories of military veterans who are transitioning out of the armed services and back to civilian life. In the upcoming episode airing March 24 at 7:30 AM EDT, the featured students will discuss their military background and the educational opportunities and special community they found at Pepperdine.

The episode will re-air Thursday, March 30, at 7:30 AM EDT on Lifetime. Viewers will see and hear the stories of Samantha Jones (’21), an alumna and current student at the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law and Graziadio Business School, who served in the U.S. Navy for eight years as an aviation electrician working on H60 Romeo helicopters; Brandon Olson, a current Seaver College student, who served for more than three years in the Army’s Airborne Infantry 11 Bravo; and Stephen Shields, a current student at the School of Public Policy, who served in the U.S. Army as an Airborne Ranger in the 75th Ranger Regiment with five deployments in Afghanistan.

Pepperdine University is highly ranked for its service to veterans (#27 among national universities in U.S. News & World Report for 2023), and is the only faith-based university in the top 30. Pepperdine is also an active participant in the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program, proudly offering tuition support to Yellow Ribbon-eligible students.

Each veteran shared thoughts on their time at Pepperdine:

“One thing that I value about his community is how welcoming it is to not only veterans but to their spouses and their children,” said Jones. “Pepperdine is a school that believes in its veterans. It’s as invested in your future as you are, and every person I've encountered, every professor I've had, has shown that same commitment to my education.”

Olson shared, “I looked up colleges that were beneficial for veterans, and Pepperdine popped up. I read its mission statement, which is [based on] servant leadership, and I really fell in love with that. I felt like God was calling me to be at Pepperdine. I applied, got accepted, and didn’t look back.”

“The reason I came and really targeted the Pepperdine School of Public Policy is because, to me, it seemed like a very balanced curriculum where all viewpoints can be respected no matter where you are on the political spectrum,” said Shields.

For more information and press assets, visit militarymakeover.tv.

 

About Pepperdine University
Founded in 1937, Pepperdine University is an independent, Christian university located 30 miles west of Downtown Los Angeles in scenic Malibu, California. The University enrolls approximately 10,300 students across its flagship liberal arts school, Seaver College; the Caruso School of Law; the Graziadio Business School; the Graduate School of Education and Psychology; and the School of Public Policy. Pepperdine is committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and Christian values, where students are strengthened for lives of purpose, service, and leadership. Follow Pepperdine on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

 

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