On January 25, 2024, Seaver College student, Alec Kesheshian, tragically passed away. Alec was a vibrant member of the Pepperdine community, and had already begun to make his mark on the world as a fashion entrepreneur. Alec’s work has been featured in publications such as Forbes, London Daily Post, America Daily Post, and Disrupt Magazine.

A graduate of Campbell Hall in Studio City, California, Kesheshian was a Los Angeles native and fashion entrepreneur who derived creative inspiration from the rich designs and patterns of different cultures. He was the owner of God’s Dream, a lifestyle clothing company he started at the age of 16 that was inspired by his travels to Italy and Japan. Kesheshian opened the God’s Dream brick-and-mortar store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles in 2020, and his work has been featured in publications such as Forbes, London Daily Post, American Daily Post, and Disrupt Magazine.

Alec's impact on the Pepperdine community was immeasurable. As a student majoring in advertising, he engaged passionately with his academic pursuits, leaving an indelible mark on the campus with his enthusiasm and commitment to excellence. “I am deeply saddened to hear the news,” shared professor Wangari Njathi, assistant professor of integrated marketing communication at Seaver College. “Alec was a vibrant presence in my class, always smiling and answering questions.” His presence in classrooms, social events, and extracurricular activities contributed significantly to the spirit of Pepperdine. 

The memory of Alec will continue to influence and inspire those who knew him. Alec Kesheshian will be remembered as a creative mind and a compassionate soul who left an enduring impact on the Pepperdine community. Alec is survived by his father, Vartan; mother, Galia; and sister, Galina (’19), a Seaver College alumna. In honor of Alec’s memory, Pepperdine has created the Alec Kesheshian Memorial Fund. 

In 2017, two Caruso Law students started the Student Emergency Fund in hopes that all students would continue to receive the instruction, support, and access to opportunities they deserved in serious times of need. With the support of our community, this fund has been able to steward our students through a variety of crises. 

The Dean’s Excellence Scholarships are awarded based on a student’s likelihood of making unique contributions toward our Christian mission, enrichment of our educational environment, and the culture of belonging at Pepperdine Caruso Law due to character-shaping life experiences, backgrounds, or perspectives. 

Pepperdine Caruso School of Law believes that embracing diversity, including people of all backgrounds and identities, and enhancing the voices of our vast student body develops greater opportunities for service, helps our students find their purpose, and creates better leaders. Be part of the coalition of those saying that the law is for all of society, not just a part.

Join us in fostering the spirit of education and empowerment through the Caruso School of Law. Each year, we award a number of merit- and need-based scholarships. Your contributions allow us to bridge financial chasms and unlock doors to bright futures.

Cedric Michael Weston Halloran was welcomed into this world on August 11, 2000, in Boulder, Colorado to his loving, excited parents, and many cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends of the Halloran/Weston families. Cedric’s life was marked by his many travels, starting with road trips at 3 months to Montana, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, a semester in Oklahoma, and then taking his first steps at the Pepperdine Law retreat at Disneyland on his first birthday. Cedric went to the Malibu Jewish Center, Malibu Presbyterian, Webster Elementary, Our Lady of Malibu, Malibu High, Boulder High, and Agoura High. He spent his freshman year at Texas Christian University, which was abruptly interrupted by the pandemic in March 2020. Adjusting to online classes, Cedric enjoyed his teachers at Pierce College, and was thrilled at his acceptance to Pepperdine for Fall 2021.

Cedric loved his annual trips to the family farm in McMinnville, Oregon. As a baby, Cedric would be parked next to a blueberry bush or tennis court. He was “Spiderman” for approximately three years, refusing to wear anything else. Cedric was fierce on the soccer field, behind the pitcher’s mound, and spent endless hours on the skateboard. He was disappointed when he developed Osgood Schlatters that prevented him from boarding and sports in 7th grade. Cedric developed a love and talent for cooking, meticulous with his food preparation, execution, and plating. Cedric also had a green thumb for gardening. Cedric is sweet natured, brilliant and has his own very unique interests including gems, jewelry, and real estate - in fact he found our home, set up and managed an AirBnb for our pool house, and convinced us that we would both financially manage and fall in love with our home with Cedric as we have.

With his parents, Cedric traveled and became the trip planner for our many excursions around the world, to all continents, except Antarctica. Cedric’s travels include South Africa, Europe, Japan, Australia, with a special affinity for Columbia. In his many long road trips to Oregon, Colorado, and on, Cedric rode upfront with Dad asking millions of questions across the miles, while Mom and Lily & Rosie happily rode in the backseat listening. Cedric developed an acumen for finance, stock-trading, and investigated corporate stability before making his purchases. Cedric was blessed with family, friends, and in his final months, a loving friendship and connection with Ivy Leroux. Cedric is the best son any parents could dream of and we love each other to the moon and back.

The Dean's Excellence Fund is a collection of gifts from dedicated alumni and friends of Pepperdine University. Gifts to this fund allow Dean Farzin Madjidi to proactively direct funds to strategic initiatives at GSEP. These gifts are among the most important and valuable forms of support, as they are distributed where the unmet need is greatest, at the dean’s discretion, to enhance our student’s experience.

Pepperdine University's Student Care Team assesses needs on a case-by-case basis and continues to utilize the Student Emergency Fund to help mitigate any financial impact on students due to unforseen emergencies, local or global. With the support of our community, this fund has helped numerous students find emergency shelter, purchase food and supplies, and travel home during unprecedented times.

As we all learned during the pandemic, emergencies can strike at an instant. It is important as we enter this new era that we prepare our students for anything that may come their way. Your compassion and support helps us as we prepare for the unknown. Please consider joining GSEP in protecting our students by making a gift to our Student Emergency Fund. 

The Graduate School of Education and Psychology awards a number of merit- and need-based scholarships to students each year. These awards are made available through endowed funds, gifts from supporters and alumni, and allocation of University general funds. The Scholarship Committee awards scholarships based on merit, need, academic, and professional experience, as well as standardized test scores.

Make a gift today and help our students thrive!

The Graziadio Business School awards a number of merit- and need-based scholarships to students each year. These awards are made available through endowed funds, gifts from supporters and alumni, and allocation of university general funds. The Scholarship Committee awards scholarships based on merit, need, academic, and professional experience, as well as standardized test scores.

Make a gift today and help our students thrive!

The Impact for Good Fund was established to assist Pepperdine’s students in their efforts to serve the neediest of people around the world, in accordance with Pepperdine University's mission to strengthen students’ lives for purpose, service and leadership.

This fund is used to assist students engage in life-changing and transformative service initiatives locally and internationally. Some of the service opportunities include our work with Made in the Streets in Kenya, the village of El Negrito in the northern province of Santiago del Estero in Argentina, and Kinderreich children's program in Heidelberg, Germany.

The Impact for Good Fund helps to make these meaningful experiences more accessible to our students.