MALIBU, Calif. – Pepperdine Athletics is proud to highlight another successful year of its Building Waves program, the department's professional development initiative designed to prepare student-athletes for life after their time in Malibu.
Launched in 2020, Building Waves helps student-athletes clarify their career interests, establish connections with alumni and industry professionals, and build confidence in their transferable skills. The program includes resume and career skills workshops, one-on-one mentoring, life beyond sport discussions, and networking events with Pepperdine alumni where many of whom were student-athletes themselves.
In 2024–25, the program engaged over 80 student-athletes across 12 programs and all four class years in a variety of workshops, events, and mentorship opportunities focused on career preparation and personal growth.
This year, 32 alumni mentors stepped up to guide, encourage, and inspire our student-athletes. Since 2021, almost 90 alumni have shared their time and expertise with student athletes. Our signature program is the one-on-one mentoring program which matches current student athletes with alumni who match their career interests.
The academic year saw the highest-ever recorded department-wide GPA with multiple programs setting new program-record GPA-highs.
"This has been an inspiring year for Building Waves with participation across sports at an all-program high," noted Academic Support Coordinator/Career Development
Erin Carroll. "Helping our student athletes prepare for the transition out of college athletics and appreciate their unique value in the professional world, I'm seeing them step into this new confidence. For this, I have to thank our Wave alumni who are the linchpin of this program. We know the caliber of our alumni is tremendous, and they are making an enormous impact on the next generation of Waves."
2024–25 Program Impact
- 78 participants representing 12 men's and women's sports
- Engagement across all class years:
- Freshmen: 17
- Sophomores: 16
- Juniors: 22
- Seniors: 23
- Participating teams:
- Baseball (20), Men's Water Polo (14), Cross Country/Track (14), Women's Swimming/Diving (7), Women's Basketball (5), Women's Soccer (5), Women's Basketball (5), Beach Volleyball (4), Women's Tennis (2), Men's Tennis (2) and Men's Golf (1)
"Building Waves gave me a deeper understanding of how the business world truly works. I learned what stands out in interviews, gained technical knowledge specific to commercial real estate, and received valuable answers to both basic and advanced questions. I also made some meaningful connections that could lead to future job or internship opportunities. Overall, I feel much more confident in my skills—I'm now interning in the field and adapting quickly thanks to what I learned through this program."
— Karina Gonzalez, Women's Soccer Senior
"Jen Karson was the perfect mentor for me! She came in at a perfect time as I was trying to land an internship. With her interview help and demo reel advice, I landed an internship that I am very excited about."
— Jenna Parsio, Track Junior
"I have had an excellent experience with this program, not only has Emily been extremely helpful, but she has given me excellent resources and other connections that have helped so much. This has been one of the best resources from Pepperdine Athletics."
— Emma Martinez, Cross Country and Track Sophomore
"This is an amazing program. I only wish it was available when I was a graduate. Thankfully, I've been able to mentor a number of people along the way in my professional life but it just seems much more special giving back to someone from Pepperdine who is an athlete. Very excited about Karina's future when she leaves Pepperdine."
— Pat Meaney, Mentor, Men's Water Polo 1980
Since its inception, Building Waves has helped foster strong bonds between current Waves and alumni dating back as far as the Class of 1979. These connections have provided insight into industries such as law, business, education, healthcare, and more while delivering tailored support from those who understand the unique journey of a student-athlete.
The program, which began virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic, now offers in-person and hybrid programming with increasing reach and frequency. Once focused primarily on seniors, Building Waves now serves all student-athletes, with expanded sessions created in partnership with Pepperdine's sport psychology staff. This includes special emphasis on life beyond sports, equipping student-athletes with tools to manage the emotional and professional transitions that come after their final season.
