PEPPERDINE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS (All Schools) - International Student Ambassador Program (TCK - Third Culture Kid)

Description of the leadership program: The goal of the International Student Ambassador Program (ISAP) is to utilize dynamic international student ambassadors to proactively enhance the international student experience at Pepperdine University. ISAP ambassadors represent different regions of the world, as well as serve the broader international student body, the Office of International Student Services (OISS), and the International Student Advisory Council.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents with international heritage may apply and be eligible for the TCK Ambassador position only. Must be enrolled full time on the Malibu or Drescher campus for both the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 terms to be eligible. Ambassadors are offered an ISAP scholarship in exchange for transforming the University through dedicated service.

TCK Ambassadors have often lived in more than one country and/or their parents’ heritage represents a different culture from the country or countries TCK students lived in. Therefore, TCK students transition between cultures regularly. When asked “where are you from”, TCK students often have difficulty answering. The living abroad experience must have been for a significant period of a student’s life prior to Pepperdine. *This program is not intended for students who solely lived abroad short term during a Pepperdine International Program.*

The ISAP Ambassador program aims to proactively collaborate with Pepperdine staff and the greater student body in the following ways:

  • Improve and acquaint the incoming international community with resources that assist with acclimation to Pepperdine and foster a sense of home
  • Support international students’ success and collaborate with faculty to enhance the academic transition to American higher education to assist with retention and graduation at Pepperdine
  • Partner with the University to improve the health and wellness of international students
  • Expand Pepperdine University’s global reach by enrolling a more diverse international student body and engaging international alumni around the world
  • Create interfaith opportunities that nurture heart, soul, strength, and mind for students from all faith backgrounds, and promote an inclusive environment to explore life’s biggest questions
  • Equip international students with resources to help them prepare for and market their Pepperdine experience for internships, jobs, and graduate school
  • Find opportunities to acquaint and integrate the global community to foster cross cultural connections and create a strengthened sense of belonging and identity

Contact: Office of International Student Services: Brooke O’Donnell – ISAP@pepperdine.edu or (310)506-4246

Award
Begin Date 3/22/24
Scopes
Office of International Student Service
Deadline
04/02/2024
Supplemental Questions
  1. Are you a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or dual citizen (U.S. and another nation)
    Please note: U.S. citizens, U.S. duals, and permanent residents are only eligible for the TCK ambassador position. The International Student Ambassador program is intended to represent the unique needs of and opportunities for the international student body.
  2. Please provide your preferred first name.
  3. Have you been enrolled at Pepperdine for at least two semesters?
  4. Next academic year, I will be considered a...
  5. What is your expected month and year of graduation?
  6. Will you be enrolled for both Fall and Spring next academic year?
  7. Before you begin, please confirm your understanding that to be eligible, all Ambassadors must:
    - Attend weekly in-person meetings on Wednesdays from 10-11 am
    - Ambassadors to schedule flights to arrive in advance of required orientations
    - Participation in other weekly meetings, events, and event planning sessions
    - Be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student on the Malibu campus
    - Not going abroad on IP in either Fall 2024 or Spring 2025 or taking a term off
  8. Your Heritage
    • a. What are all the places you have lived in and for how long? (Please state the dates and the countries)
    • b. In which country did you finish high school?
    • c. ISAP seeks to represent the entire international student body. Which of the following subregions have you lived in prior to Pepperdine? (Please check all that apply)
    • d. Please state your personal connection with each region selected?
      For each region chosen please state: I lived there/I was born there or completed high school there/My passport is from there.
    • e. Which of the above would you most consider "home"?
    • f. What languages do you speak?
  9. Third-Culture Kid Experience:
    • A Trans-cultural/Third Culture (TCK) Ambassador may have U.S. citizenship, U.S. permanent residency, U.S. dual or international citizenship.
      TCK are people raised in more than one culture for a significant part of their life or a different culture than their parents. They are often exposed to a greater variety of cultural influences and oftentimes have a difficult time answering "where is home?"(ex. military/business/missionary/NGO/diplomat/other)


      a. Where are your parents from?
    • b. Why do you identify as a TCK?
    • c. What are some challenges you have faced as a TCK, and how did you overcome them?
    • d. TCK students may not have a common country of origin, but have common experiences. How would you build a strong TCK community on campus and accommodate the vast differences among TCK’s?
    • e. What makes you qualified to be a leader among the TCK community?
  10. Why do you want to serve as an International Student Ambassador and what are your strengths that make you a competitive candidate??
  11. If you had the chance to serve as an International Ambassador, what primary change would you make and how would you go about making that happen?
  12. Please highlight your skills/experience/interest in at least three of the following areas: (use NA if not applicable)
    • 1. Social Media/ Marketing/ Communications
    • 2. Diversity/ Equity/ Inclusivity Initiatives
    • 3. Career Services/ Alumni Relations
    • 4. External Relations/ Admissions
    • 5. Health/ Wellness
    • 6. Academic Success
    • 7. International Student Acclimation/ Engagement
  13. Given there are inherent transitions to the U.S. classroom for some students, what would you implement that could improve academic success for an increasingly diverse student body?
  14. ISAP Program Agreements
  15. Code of Ethics (Note that this will be verified):
  16. Students must agree to attend required weekly meetings and events to ensure maximum impact on behalf of international and TCK students. Given that Pepperdine students' first priority is academics, we do not allow students to hold conflicting employment or commitments that may prevent the from academic success and also fulfilling ISAP requirements, especially because Ambassadors will receive a $20,000 tuition-waiver scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year.
    • As a leadership program run by the OISS and not a democratically elected student club, I may not understand or agree with the selection process or the Ambassador selected, and yet I agree to treat other applicants and my university with respect if I am not selected. I understand that I can seek other leadership opportunities with clubs and organizations to achieve the ideas presented in this application.
    • I acknowledge that I am required to serve during the Seaver fall and spring international new student orientations and am therefore required to schedule my flights to arrive in advance of the following dates: Fall- August 12, 2024 and Spring- January 9, 2025
    • I acknowledge that, if I do not fulfill my time commitment and responsibilities in this role, just like other Pepperdine scholarships, eligibility must be met, and I may be removed from the program at any time and will not be given credit as having served as an International Student Ambassador.
    • I agree that academics at Pepperdine are my top priority and that, given the amount of cultural service hours needed to ensure my academic success, I will not overextend myself or jeopardize that ISAP objectives with additional employment or leadership opportunities that could compromise my commitment to ISAP.
    • I agree that I must be enrolled full-time, meet Satisfactory Academic Progress, maintain a Cumulative GPA of 2.75 or greater, and must remain in good standing in all areas of the University to remain eligible.
    • I agree that my total institutional grant/scholarship may not exceed tuition and that half of this award will be applied each term in the 2020-2021 academic year.
    • I agree to attend and assist with planning various OISS/ISAP programs throughout the year as part of my cultural service hours.
    • I agree to attend four mandatory orientations, training's, and retreats in addition to 2-3 hours of weekly meetings with our adviser from 10 am - 12 pm on Wednesday mornings with an additional ambassador meeting.
    • I agree to respond to all correspondence related to the program within 48 hours of receiving and provide quality responses to students and colleagues.
    • I consent to be contacted regarding any information or ideas provided in this application.
    • I consent to have my name, general profile, and photo published on Pepperdine websites and materials. Students may contact me and ask questions about my experience at Pepperdine, my country, my culture, and the International Student Ambassador Program.
    • I understand that the associated scholarship award is contingent on these objectives and that if my grade point average goes below a 2.75 or I fail to uphold my commitment to the Ambassador team as deemed by the OISS director, my scholarship and role as Ambassador may be rescinded at any time.
    • I understand that the Pepperdine student body and fellow Ambassadors are depending on me, and I am prepared to put in extra hours outside of scheduled meeting times to fulfill my responsibilities as an ISAP Ambassador.
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