Monthly Student Employee Spotlight

Our student employees are doing amazing work throughout the University. Each month, supervisors have the opportunity to nominate one of their student employees to be feature in the Monthly Supervisor Newsletter as well as be featured on the Student Employment website.

Are you a supervisor who is interested in nominating one of your student employees? Please email tess.marme@pepperdine.edu to inquire.

October 2020: Student Employee Spotlight

Jada Jensen

Jada is a double major in Religion and Advertising. One day, she hopes to open a
Christian high school for special needs kids.

Jada says, "I love my job because I get to do the things I am passionate about everyday. 
I get to work with social media, learn more about marketing, and work with graphic 
design. Additionally, I love getting to support and work with our clubs. Lastly, I love 
my job because of the people I work with. My coworkers and my boss are some of the 
best people I know."

"Jada is ICA's social media intern and she is SUCH a go getter. She consistently goes above and beyond to come up with creative content and innovative ideas for how to engage students virtually. In addition to her creativity Jada is also a very responsible young lady and always sees projects to completion. ICA is so lucky to have her, on the team!"

- ICA (Intercultural Affairs)

View Past Student Employee Spotlights

October 2019

Esther Chung

Esther Chung is a Political Science Major with a Nonprofit Management Minor. Her career goal is to work in an area that focuses on global justice. She works in the Convocation office and she loves her co-workers and supervisors. According to Esther, "They are so encouraging and make work so easy".

"As a production assistant, Esther is the behind the scene wizard who makes Wednesday Chapel happen each week. Her love and passion for organized events, intentional services, and a promptly returned email fuels our ministry. We are so thankful for her love of this campus and commitment to the work of this office!"
- Convocation - Spiritual Life Programs

November 2019

Sydnie Greger

In Fall 2020, Sydnie will start her Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. She then plans to earn her Ph. D. in Clinical Psychology to continue her career in therapy specializing in anxiety and mood disorders in children and teens. She also plans to teach psychology in a collegial setting. She says, "I love the people I work with. I have worked in the financial assistance office since the beginning of my freshman year. Now, as a last semester senior, I feel like the financial aid staff is my family."

"Sydnie has been working with us for her entire 4 year career at Pepperdine. She has taken her position very seriously and successfully trained many of our new incoming student workers. Her vast knowledge of the job and ability to help students and parents though the financial aid process in a calm and clear path is a true example of the Pepperdine way. She will be greatly missed by all of the FA Office staff, student workers and advisors."
- Financial Aid Office

December 2019

Kayley Butler

Kayley Butler is a Physics Major with a Sustainability Minor. She aspires to obtain her PhD in Environmental Science and work with the Los Angeles community to prepare a healthier path for future generations. For the past three years she has worked at the Pepperdine Fund helping to educate students and alumni on the importance of giving back and increasing the value of her degree.

Kayley says, she is so grateful to work with supportive people who love Pepperdine and Excel Spreadsheets as much as she does!

"Kayley is being nominated for this honor because she is a hard worker, diligent in every detail - no matter how small - and keeps our office running. Her service oriented nature, leadership, and supervision of the other student employees in our area, as well as her life purpose makes her the ideal Pepperdine student, employee, and champion."
- The Pepperdine Fund

February 2020

Kimberly Nesper

Kimberly Nesper is currently studying for her PhD of Global Leadership and Change. Her career goal is to one day be a Foreign Services Officer or Ambassador.

Kimberly says, "I have truly enjoyed working for my supervisor, Sue Funkhouser, and her team in the MSOD department. Everyday in the office, I am greeted by friendly people. The work I do is truly rewarding, as I see students progress through their academic careers."

"Kimi's expertise with excel has increased our efficiency. Her analytic and data crunching skills are utilized by the academic director's research. By working with Kimi collaboratively, we have tackled and completed complex projects. Her attitude is bar-none - cheerful and happy to support and serve in whatever is needed. No task is too small or too large. We are blessed to have her on our team"
- PGBS - Masters of Organizational Development Program Office

April 2020

Georgia Zanca

Georgia Zanca is majoring in Journalism with an outside concentration in Screen Arts and hopes to work for Walt Disney.

Georgia says, "The Emily Shane Foundation has given me the exceptional opportunity to help others recognize their own talents and to see my students mature and grow into incredible young men and women. Getting to be with students on a weekly basis exposes me to new perspectives and provides me with insight from different backgrounds, languages, and more. "

"Georgia demonstrates a tremendous work ethic, and works well with minimal supervision. She is extremely creative in her approach when working with a student who did not speak english and was able to forge a productive relationship with her by using online resources to translate back and forth from English and Spanish. This student has improved her english speaking skills and is notably more confident due to Georgia's care and persistence. Georgia is a wonderful colleague and a joy to work with."
- The Emily Shane Foundation

The Emily Shane Foundation is one of Pepperdine's Work Study Community Service Partners. Students who have been awarded a Federal Work Study award have the opportunity to work off-site in the community. The Emily Shane Foundation is a unique educational initiative that provides essential mentoring/tutoring to disadvantaged middle school children across Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

May 2020

Cindy Kim

Cindy Kim is an undergraduate senior graduating with an Advertising degree with an emphasis in Business. In the future, she hopes to go into Dental or Dental Missionary.

Cindy says, "I love my supervisors and the people I work with in the Information Technology department. Not only are they super intelligent, their personalities make it such a fun place to be. Thank you Tessa, Lynn, and Tim for always being there to help me!"

"Cindy has not only been an exceptional employee, but has always been excited to work. With the pandemic and sending many of our students home, Cindy was available 4 and sometimes 5 days out of the week. She is a kind and understanding hard worker, and continues to leave her mark within Tech Central."

- IT Client Services

June 2020

Dai-Ning (Maggie) Lin

As a rising sophomore, she has yet to discern what God's plans are for her. Nonetheless, she aspires to become a philanthropic business leader that will work with sustainability in mind and give back to society.

Maggie says, "I love how my on-campus job at the Intercultural Affairs Office provided me with the opportunities to utilize my creativity and artistic skills to overcome challenges and to support our diverse community. Moreover, it has also introduced me to so many amazing people from such varying backgrounds, who made my Pepperdine experience all the better! Big shout-outs to my supervisors, Rebecca, Dani, and Daniel for all the advice; and a big thank you to all my colleagues for making "work" so fun."

"Maggie is passionate, driven, and a go getter. She creates beautiful videos highlighting the work that is done in ICA in a timely manner. Her work showcases her creativity and is always done at the highest level of excellence. She takes initiative, brings new ideas to our staff meetings, and is always willing to learn and grow."

- Intercultural Affairs

Isabella Teague

Isabella is an incoming senior majoring in Advertising with an emphasis in Creative Writing. She hopes to one day lead through Art Direction in an ad agency or her own.

Isabella says, "Working at the Student Employment Office each day was an adventure and each task was never the same. I've never had such a wonderful, understanding supervisor like Tess - someone I can always joke and have a heart-to-heart conversation with. Though words can't fully express how much this experience has meant to me, I will say that working at the Student Employment Office has helped me grow, understand myself better, and motivated me to make a difference in any choice of work I choose to do."

"Isabella has worked in our office for a year and constantly goes over and beyond what is asked of her. Among other responsibilities, she created all the marketing items for National Student Employment Week and led our social media campaign where we raffle off 3 prizes each day. Isabella is incredibly talented and an absolute joy to work. She is not only professional in all that she does but has a witty sense of humor while treating everyone with the utmost care. Thank you Isabella for all your hard work and for being creative, a problem solver, and dependable."

- Student Employment Office

July 2020

Zion Chang

As Digital Arts and Computer Science are growing industries around the world,  
Zion would like to eventually work abroad and do career missions.
For now, it is her hope to work in the Digital Arts field-- specifically in graphic
design, but she is also interested in front-end related work.

Zion says, "I am a graphic designer for the Center for Faith and Learning and
this job has encouraged me to pursue art as a career rather than keep it as a
hobby, while still glorifying God. My favorite part of this job is easily my
relationship with my boss, Stephanie. She is extremely supportive and loving,
and I enjoy every conversation I have with her. Thank you, Stephanie, for being
the amazing woman that you are! I am always encouraged by you to be a better
daughter of Christ."

"Zion is going into her senior year and has worked for me since her first year at Pepperdine, creating our marketing materials. She is super talented and creative and her art has only grown more impressive over the years. She is flexible and independent, cheerful and positive, and thinks deeply about how her faith informs her choices and her pursuits in life. It has been an absolute joy to have her as an employee and I dearly miss our weekly check-ins in the office. I am looking forward to working with Zion during her senior year!"

- Center for Faith and Learning

Emma Thomasson

Emma is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Philosophy with plans of becoming a
Marriage and Family Therapist in her bright future.

Emma says, "My favorite part of my job is that my supervisors have become like
family to me, they have truly helped make Pepperdine into my home away
from home."

"Emma is an outstanding contributor to the work of OSA. She has a rare combination of gifts: good judgement, smart intuition, excellent written and verbal communication skills. Emma is wise beyond her years. These skills allow us to rely on her to navigate exam procedures with professors as well as answer phones during our weekly professional staff team meeting. We trust her to talk with parents -- no small responsibility. Emma is punctual, reliable, and always follows through. She is a gift to our office as well as the students and faculty we serve."

- Office of Student Accessibility

August 2020

Alexis Okamoto

As an Economics major, Alexis hopes to work in Data Analytics for a tech company one day.

Lexi says, "I really enjoy working with other students and offering my services
to help them grow professionally. I also appreciate how supportive my supervisors
have been to me throughout the past year! They've been nothing but encouraging
and kind, and I could not have asked for better people to work for."

"Lexi is a dedicated Career Ambassador who has been graciously working remotely for the summer on top of completing a summer internship. We are so grateful for her dedication, attention to detail, and efficiency! She is such a valued member of our team and works hard to provide great service to fellow students."

- Seaver College Career Center

September 2020

Michelle Okinedo

Michelle is a Business Administrator major in the 5 year MBA Pepperdine program.
She plans to specialize in Entertainment, Media, and Sports Management,
eventually making a positive impact in the music industry.

Michelle says, "It has been such a joy getting to work at Waves on Call since my
freshman year! I have especially enjoyed getting to connect with Pepperdine Alumni
on a regular basis and seek advice from them. During my time at Waves on Call I
have gotten the opportunity to cultivate genuine connections with Pepperdine
alums and gain priceless wisdom. Through the countless phone conversations I
have had over the years, I have learned the art of communication and how to remain
authentic. Moreover, as the supervisor for Waves on Call, I have learned to lead
humbly and by example."

"At the end of the day, people will not necessarily remember that Michelle has raised a substantial amount of money for Pepperdine, yet they will remember that she put others before she put herself in order to make a successful Call Center--this is the raw impact you can not ask from someone, they just do it because they know it is the right thing to do...and because they love Pepperdine. I am blessed to have Michelle as an employee."

- Waves on Call