The next class of incoming MBA students need not look far for answers to the wealth of questions they’re undoubtedly coming across as they plan the next two years of their lives. The Emerging Leaders Mentorship Program, a group of 17 second-year students, are on hand to offer tips and guidance on topics ranging from course selection to apartment hunting.
The Emerging Leaders work closely with incoming students to aid in what can often be a difficult transition into the role of a full-time graduate student, offering information with a personal touch that the University’s administration can’t provide.
Designed to enhance the overall Graziadio School experience, these mentors, who are hand-picked by faculty, are comprised of students holding various leadership positions, notably newly elected president of the Malibu Graduate Business Society (MGBS) Nicholas Stankevich and Pepperdine’s Challenge 4 Charity co-presidents Robin Davidman and Ann Chen. The Emerging Leaders are an ideal resource for students who are curious about a Graziadio experience that extends beyond the classroom. The group is intended to help first-year students explore personal and professional opportunities through a multitude of extracurricular activities, including clubs, social outings, personal interest groups, and plenty of networking events.
The Emerging Leaders website is equipped with an array of subjective information about orientation, using WaveNet, choosing professors, living on campus, joining a club, finding an internship, where to play volleyball, and much more.
Meet the 2012-2013 Emerging Leaders
David Bickham serves on the Club Enrichment sub-committee in the MGBS Student Senate and on the Consulting Collective as the director of alumni relations. During the fall semester David will be taking his education abroad to study in Istanbul, Turkey, at the Sabanci University School of Management. Read more.
Adam Buffum worked as a high school science teacher and basketball coach before coming to Pepperdine. As a first-year student at the Graziadio School, Adam was selected to the Ethics Committee and senator for the GSBM student body. Read more.
Berenice Carrasco is originally from Ecuador and speaks Spanish, English and Turkish. A former IT consultatn, Berenuce came to the U.S. as a Fulbright Scholar to complete her master’s degree in computer engineering. Read more.
Ann Chen was born in Taiwan and raised in Los Angeles. Ann is an active participant in club activities and holds leadership positions in NAWMBA, Net Impact, and is co-president of Pepperdine’s C4C. Read more.
Robin Davidman is an active member of NAWMBA, as well as co-chair of the Emerging Leaders Mentor committee. Robin will be serving as co-president of Pepperdine’s Challenge for Charity chapter (C4C). Read more.
Rehmen Kurji currently serves as the Emerging Leaders president, and serves as the group’s point person (feel free to e-mail him). He participated in the Graziadio School Case Competition, where he finished as a finalist. Read more.
Rae Li has always been passionate about volunteering and was a leader of a Chinese youth volunteer organization, advocating for youth participation. Currently, she serves as the director of operations at the Value-centered Leadership Lab and has been an active participant in various club activities. Read more.
Jessica Mandelbaum founded her own consulting company that focuses on supporting real estate professionals. She serves as the mentor co-chair for the Emerging Leaders, and is an energetic member of the MGBS Senate committee that focuses on organizing the weekly networking and social events. Read more.
Tommy Mitchell is an Aviation Electrician’s Mate 1st Class (Air Warfare) in the United States Navy Reserve, and spends his free time working on F/A-18E/F Super Hornet jet aircraft. He once worked in the pharmacy department at Cedars-Sinai in Beverly Hills and is very interested in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. Read more.
Jay Mountain has enjoyed a successful career as a CPA in corporate functions within the financial services, entertainment, and non-profit industries. Jay decided to further his education by pursuing his MBA in an effort to launch a more robust career in the entertainment industry. Read more.
Sara Phillips serves as vice president of the Malibu Graduate Business Society (student government), is a student mentor with the Graziadio Emerging Leadership program, and a Graziadio Student Ambassador. She participates in local community and industry associations like the Association of Women in the Metal Industries and the Jewish Federation of Greater Long Beach. Read more.
Nivi Ramakrishnan She holds various leadership positions including vice-chairman of Emerging Leaders, event coordinator for the Consulting Collective and a member of the Graziadio Student Ambassador. She graduated from BITS-Pilani in India with a dual degree in physics and electrical and electronics engineering. Read more.
John Reberger has spent the last 20 years designing and implementing strategies that help companies successfully market and sell their new and established products to their target customers. His spare time is spent enjoying the Los Angeles area with Jennifer, his wife, and Jack (age 5) and Hank (age 2), their two sons. Read more.
Taylor Simpson is secretary of the Emerging Leaders and an active member in both the Sports Management Club and High-tech Club, and holds a leadership role as project manager for Net Impact. Taylor was recently married in Negril, Jamaica, and relocated from Florida with his wife and two dogs. Read more.
Nicholas Stankevich is very active in local politics and serves as the current MGBS president for Pepperdine’s Graziadio School of Business and Management. Prior to enrolling at Pepperdine, he started and currently operates his own company. He’ll launch his next business endeavor after completing his MBA. Read more.
Yanan Sui completed her bachelor of arts degree in English at a Chinese University in Inner Mongolia. She is the general secretary of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) at Pepperdine and a Finance Club member. Read more.
Hugh Wang is a master of science in applied finance student at Pepperdine University. He was born in Zhejiang Province, China. In addition to Emerging Leaders, he is also a member of the Finance Club and the Consulting Collective. Read more.
McMorrow shared some touching words and memories of his mentor, George Graziadio, saying, “You need somebody that’s going to take you under their arm, sees something in you that somebody else doesn’t see. Sees you as a young person that really has the ability to do something more than you even think you could do.” He went on to share with the audience that Graziadio’s legacy lives on in him personally, saying, “I always reflect on George. Whenever I’ve got tough decisions to make, whenever I’m at a place where there’s a turn in the road, I think about how he would have handled that situation. He meant everything to me.”
David Denicke, this year’s Outstanding Full-time MBA Student, said of his Graziadio experience, “When people ask me about the Graziadio School, I don’t often talk about the collaborative student environment, the faculty accessibility or the great views along PCH. But what I do talk about is the people. This award is equal parts exalting and humbling.” David will embark on the next chapter of his career as an executive at Sony Electronics.
Angie Namenuk, the winner of the Outstanding Executive Student award, brings over 16 years of professional experience to the classroom, specializing in strategic business management, project management, and research. She currently serves as the director of business development at Genentech. “I appreciate the importance of balancing family with everything that we do,” said Namenuk. “I certainly couldn’t have done this without a fantastic mentor at work, an amazing circle of friends who supported me, and a fantastic family.”
Scot Hutton, this year’s selection for Outstanding Part-time Student, is a retired U.S. Marine who was injured while serving in Iraq. He now spends much of his time speaking and working with new Veterans entering the civilian world, in addition to his role as manager of information security at Harbor Freight Tools. “My parents always told me, ‘If you surround yourself with great people, good things will come to you. And that’s your fortune.’ Looking around this room, I cannot see how we cannot be great,” said Hutton, who earned his BSM degree in 2011, and is currently pursuing his MBA degree, which he will receive later this year.
award, has an impressive executive résumé that spans over twenty years, serving in top leadership positions for numerous renowned corporations, currently serving as president and CEO of C@talyst 9. “It’s through the Presidential Key Executive Program, which is just a life-changing experience, I might add that I am able to do something that has been a magnificent obsession for me,” said Lore, whose capstone is is dedicated to creating an inner city campus in the City of Los Angeles called Urban Oasis.
Christopher Prazak is this year’s Outstanding Bachelor of Science Student, is scholastically ranked in the top 5% of his class and has over 20 years of sales and management experience, specializing in vertical market and talent development. He is presently a sales manager at Danaher Motion in San Diego. Said Prazak, “What sets [the Graziadio School] apart is that we learn to work with integrity for the communities that we represent, with dignity for the people that are entrusted to us. It runs throughout the program, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
The recipient of the Outstanding Bachelor of Science Student is Yan Zhang, who will graduate this August with his Master of Science in Applied Finance and plans to pursue a career in investment banking. Having recently completed an internship with China International Capital Corporation, the largest investment bank in China Zhang noted,“Pepperdine is my American Dream. This will push me to continue working very hard in the future … and I can tell people proudly, ’I graduated from Pepperdine, and I’m a member of the Graziadio School.’”
Dat T. Do, the George Awards’ Outstanding Alumnus, is the co-founder of Derivatas and recognized by the Graziadio School for his pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit. Do described the experience of receiving the honor as “emotional” and went on to stress the strength and influence of the Graziadio School alumni community, calling it “family.”
has been described by her fellow faculty members and students as an impassioned educator, emphasizing applied and experiential learning. She said of her role at Pepperdine,“Every day I get to wake up and work with brilliant minds, like the ones you see here in this room, and be a part of their journey towards higher education. How can that be a bad day?” Shanahan began teaching at the Graziadio School in 2002. She is responsible for creating, developing, and successfully leading the E2B (
Betty LaMarr received the Waves of Service Award, an honor bestowed upon a member of the Graziadio School family who has displayed unwavering dedication to community service. She currently serves as CEO of EmpowHer Institute, an organization that helps low-income females develop entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to achieve economic freedom since 2003. “I’m really a living testimony that it’s not about where you come from, but it’s about where you’re going,” said LaMarr, whose inspiring story received a standing ovation. She has been a strong alumni advocate for the placement of Graziadio School students and has been an avid participant in the Graziadio School’s annual Career Forum for several years.
More than 200 Pepperdine graduates have been a part of the Edison and/or Southern California Edison (SCE) work force in a variety of roles, and accordingly, SCE is the deserving recipient of the Outstanding Corporate Award, which was graciously accepted by alumni Craig Inway, senior program manager and performance manager. Over the last four years, Edison has been regularly holding on-campus interviews, and as a result, hired eight MBA interns and four full-time employees from the Graziadio School.
The George Awards are presented annually to students, alumni and faculty who share Mr. Graziadio’s commitment to personal excellence and leadership. These members of the Graziadio community have also personified his generosity of spirit and drive to inspire others by striving for the highest standards in oneself. In addition, an Outstanding Faculty Member Award and an Outstanding Corporate Partner Award were presented to Dr. John K. Paglia and The Walt Disney Company, respectively.
The Walt Disney Company is the second recipient of the Graziadio School of Business and Management’s annual signature 
