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Alec Kesheshian Memorial Fund
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.
Cedric Weston Halloran Endowed Scholarship
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.
MSOD Director's Excellence Fund
The MSOD Director’s Excellence Fund plays a pivotal role in sustaining and enhancing the world-class quality of the MSOD program. Your contribution directly supports initiatives that keep the program relevant, impactful, and inclusive for current and future students.
Key areas of support include:
Learning Group Consultants (LGCs): These dedicated mentors are essential to the MSOD experience, providing hands-on guidance that shapes students’ learning and professional development. Without sufficient funding, we risk losing the invaluable contributions of LGCs. Your gift helps subsidize their travel and accommodations, ensuring their full participation.
Curriculum Innovation: Contributions to the Excellence Fund empower the program director to integrate cutting-edge research and address critical topics like JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) efforts. Recent enhancements to diversity, equity, and inclusion materials in the curriculum were made possible by gifts like yours.
By supporting the MSOD Director’s Excellence Fund, you ensure the program continues to lead in preparing transformative leaders while addressing the most pressing challenges of today’s organizations.
Join us in sustaining and advancing the excellence of MSOD. Your gift will fuel innovation, enrich mentorship, and develop the leaders of tomorrow.
MSOD Faculty Fund
The MSOD Faculty Research Fund fuels the innovative work of our esteemed faculty, advancing the field of Organization Development and strengthening the reputation of our MSOD program. Your support ensures that our faculty have the resources needed to produce groundbreaking research, publish influential studies, and shape best practices in the industry.
Key reasons to give:
Expand Our Reach: Faculty research not only enhances the MSOD program but also raises its profile globally, showcasing our leadership in driving meaningful change in organizations.
Support Our Thought Leaders: By contributing, you empower the faculty who have inspired and shaped MSOD students, enabling them to influence the future of OD through their cutting-edge research.
Shape the Future of Organizations: Faculty publications based on real-world, industry-focused research drive the change we want to see, advancing OD practices and principles worldwide.
Your gift to the MSOD Faculty Research Fund creates opportunities for impactful research that benefits the MSOD community and the broader field of Organization Development.
Join us in championing our faculty and driving innovation. Your gift will shape the future of OD and elevate the legacy of MSOD.
MSOD Founders Scholarship
The MSOD Founders Scholarship is a vital resource, ensuring that financial barriers do not stand in the way of talented individuals pursuing an MSOD education. By providing financial assistance to candidates who might not otherwise afford the program, the scholarship fosters diversity in its broadest sense—enriching the learning experience for all.
Over the years, recipients of the MSOD Founders Scholarship have included African American, Asian, Alaskan Native American, and Latinx students with countries of origin including Costa Rica, Ghana, Mexico, Italy, and China. Their diverse perspectives have not only shaped their journeys but also deepened the collective growth of their classmates and strengthened the “Long Grey Line” of MSOD alumni.
Your donation makes a direct impact:
It ensures that our student population reflects a broad spectrum of backgrounds, experiences, and voices.
It gives aspiring leaders the chance to benefit from the MSOD program and share their unique insights, enriching the experience for everyone.
By giving to the MSOD Founders Scholarship, you help create a program where diversity thrives, access expands, and every student has the opportunity to contribute to the legacy of transformative leadership.
Join us in making MSOD education accessible for all. Your gift will change lives and strengthen our future.
Nicole Jane Macbeth Hill Memorial Heidelberg Endowed Scholarship Fund
On May 11th, 2024, Nicole Jane Macbeth Hill passed away due to the impact of an unexpected and sudden cardiac arrest. Nicole was a treasure to those who knew her, and her sweet voice, kind heart, and generous spirit will be missed by many.
Nicole was a Seaver College alumnus (’04) and earned her B.A. in Liberal Arts. She utilized her degree to provide enriching learning experiences and positively shape the lives of many young children. Nicole taught kindergarten and volunteered in several local church preschool programs, but her greatest joy was extending her love of learning to her own two children.
A highlight of Nicole’s life and college experience was her participation in Pepperdine’s study abroad program in Heidelberg, Germany, during the 2001–2002 academic year. Through this program, she developed many lifelong friendships; it was even mutual friends from Heidelberg who eventually introduced her to her future husband, Brent. Nicole loved her abroad experience and made it a point to attend both her 10- and 20-year Heidelberg reunions, relishing the ability to reconnect with friends and relive the memories from a time and place in her life that were so special to her.
To help honor and remember Nicole, Pepperdine has created the Nicole Jane Macbeth Hill Memorial Fund to provide financial assistance to other Seaver College undergraduate students who wish to study abroad in Heidelberg.
Nicole is survived by her husband Brent Hill and their two children, David and Catherine, her parents, Charles and Anita Macbeth, and her brothers Chad (’08), Cameron, and John (’14).
The purpose of this scholarship is to help cover the International Program fees, expenses for the educational field trip, and/or other study abroad-related expenses for students in financial need and good academic standing who attend the Heidelberg program.
Our Four Angels Endowed Scholarship
On October 17, 2023, the Pepperdine community suffered the tragic loss of Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, and Deslyn Williams, four Seaver College students.
These students were bright lights in the Pepperdine community and each one of these students had a special impact on everyone they met. Their absence will long be felt. In an effort to honor their memory, Pepperdine is establishing the "Our Four Angels Endowed Scholarship," which will help continue the legacies of Niamh, Peyton, Asha, and Deslyn.