Student Spotlight
Judy Ahl
"Pepperdine faculty bring 150 percent enthusiasm, care, and understanding to their work. They invited us into their homes. You don’t get that with other business schools."
What makes the Graziadio School unique?
The faculty are excellent because they have the academic credentials and years of teaching experience combined with real world practical experience. Most of them are consultants, so they bring to the classroom current knowledge and experiences. Pepperdine faculty bring 150 percent enthusiasm, care, and understanding to their work. They invited us into their homes. You don't get that with other business schools. Because of Pepperdine's smaller classes, the program has the flexibility to allow students to really bond and engage with one another.
What was one of your most rewarding experiences?
I visited Hong Kong, China, and Bangkok as part of Pepperdine's travel abroad program. I had been there several times before, but always as a tourist. When I went this time, I had more of a business perspective and it just opened up a whole new world for me. You look at things differently. I highly recommend the trip. It is so important.
How has your Graziadio School experience contributed to your success?
What a Pepperdine EMBA will do for you is to open up your thinking, your view on the world as a whole--whether it's politics, economics, or business. And from that, you will know how to look at trends and how to ask questions outside of the box to gather more information in order to make better decisions. When you have knowledge you have confidence. Before, I would just listen at work. Now I participate.
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