Meet Your Student Ambassadors
The Heart of our Community
Pepperdine Caruso Law's student ambassadors represent the heart of our school in different yet profound ways. Student ambassadors are recommended by faculty, staff, and administrators and serve as professional student leaders who connect with prospective students and host law school info sessions. They are leaders in our community, involved, enthusiastic, and having been through this process themselves, are in a unique position to provide insight from their firsthand experience. Pepperdine Caruso Law student ambassadors are a diverse group of academic achievers and represent a broad spectrum of interest areas in legal practice.
Our student ambassadors will share their personal emails to students who attend a virtual info session with them. For questions about the application and admissions process, please contact the admissions office at lawadmis@pepperdine.edu after reviewing the Frequently Asked Questions
Nareh Aghakhanian
nareh.aghakhanian@pepperdine.edu
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Undergraduate University and Major: University of California at Berkeley, Political Economy and Slavic Languages and Literatures
Extracurricular Activities: Pepperdine Law Review, Moot Court, Legal Research and Writing Teaching Assistant, Armenian Law Students Association Social Chair, Academic Mastery Program Teaching Fellow
Legal Work: Weitz & Luxenberg Summer Law Clerk
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: Caruso School of Law offers students the opportunity to engage in projects that make a tangible real-world impact while developing invaluable skills before graduation. As a member of the Religious Liberty Clinic, I am grateful for the chance to work on real religious liberty cases alongside my peers and outstanding attorneys.
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: I plan on working in litigation after law school.
Advice for Future Students: Never lose sight of your goals and be confident.
Caden Benedict
Hometown: Chattanooga, Tennessee
Undergraduate University and Major: Pepperdine University, Economics
Extracurricular Activities: Christian Legal Society, Sudreau Global Justice Institute, Moot Court, Student Bar Association
Legal Work: Sudreau Global Justice Institute Judicial Extern, Religious Liberty Clinic
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: One of my favorite things about Pepperdine Caruso Law is its missional posture. It’s a law school that aims to provide a world-class education through gifted professors, a culture of viewpoint diversity, and an ethos of purpose. Students continually are prepared to be people of impact who are not just advocates, but also counselors, who use the law as a ministry to help people in some of their most important life moments.
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: I plan to pursue litigation in constitutional law or compliance or transactional work in entertainment or culture.
Advice for Future Students: Work hard, trust the process, and lean into building relationships with your peers in your year and beyond.
Matthew Conde
Hometown: Glendale, California
Undergraduate University and Major: Seattle University, Business Administration
Extracurricular Activities: Pepperdine Law Review, Research Assistant, Asian Pacific American Law Student Association
Legal Work: Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Law Clerk
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: Pepperdine’s faculty and staff are wonderful resources for academic, professional, and personal guidance. They are accessible, supportive, and invested in your success, and their mentorship and encouragement make you feel welcomed and empowered throughout your law school journey.
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: After Pepperdine Caruso Law, I hope to gain meaningful legal experience with the long-term goal of entering private practice.
Advice for Future Students: Trust the process and be kind to yourself and others. Law school will challenge you, but those are the moments that shape your growth. Embrace each obstacle, learn from it, persevere, and take care of yourself while encouraging others. Each person you meet‚ faculty or classmate‚ offers unique experiences worth learning from, so enjoy the journey together.
Nicole Gendusa
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Undergraduate University and Major: University of California at Los Angeles, History
Extracurricular Activities: Catholic Law Students Association Founder and President, Pro Bono Program FEMA Disaster Relief Assistance Volunteer, 1L Student Mentor, Real Estate Investment Research Assistant
Legal Work: General Practice Firm (Transactional Focus) Legal Internship
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: My favorite thing is the idylic Pepperdine campus, especially the outdoor patio and the view from the library. Studying there feels calm and refreshing because of how beautiful the surroundings are. It creates a peaceful environment that makes it easier to focus, even during the busiest weeks.
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: My plan is to work in real estate law and/or construction law.
Advice for Future Students: Malibu is beautiful—use that to your advantage. Take breaks, walk by the beach, and give yourself permission to breathe. Law school is demanding, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Christian Kim
Hometown: Santa Clara, California
Undergraduate University and Major: Wheaton College, English
Extracurricular Activities: Pepperdine Law Review, Christian Legal Society, Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, Advocates for Public Interest Law
Legal Work: Santa Clara County Superior Court Judicial Internship, Public Interest Firm Eviction Defense Internship
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: The law school has a uniquely caring and supportive community, both among students and faculty. I can’t count the number of times someone greeted me with a big grin and a hug even when we had only spoken once or twice before.
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: I would love to do social justice public interest work, especially dealing with immigration or religious issues.
Advice for Future Students: Find your people! Make some friends you really trust, the ones who share your values and always have your back, and enjoy this whirlwind of an experience together with them.
Caroline Lewis
caroline.s.lewis@pepperdine.edu
Hometown: Lake Forest, Illinois
Undergraduate University and Major: University of Mississippi, Psychology
Extracurricular Activities: Pepperdine Law Review, Moot Court, Sudreau Global Justice Institute, Christian Legal Society, Catholic Law Students Association, Women’s Legal Association, Advocates for Public Interest Law, First Generation Law Student Association
Legal Work: Supreme Court of Uganda Judicial Internship, Pepperdine Disaster Relief Clinic
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: One of my favorite things about Caruso Law is the mentorship. From both professors and fellow students, the advice and support I have received since my first step on campus have been invaluable.
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: After law school, I plan to attain a clerkship and work in litigation.
Advice for Future Students: Get to know your classmates! The people here are truly wonderful and getting to know them, both inside and outside the classroom, beneficial. Whether it is studying or grabbing coffee on the weekend, it is so important to have good people surrounding you during law school.
Simon Newton
Hometown: Vancouver, Washington
Undergraduate University and Major: Arizona State University, Political Science
Extracurricular Activities: Pepperdine Law Review, First Generation Law Student Association Treasurer, Palmer Center for Entrepreneurship and the Law Fellow
Legal Work: Pepperdine University Office of the General Counsel Law Clerk
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: I love the supportive environment! No matter who you are or what kind of lawyer you want to be, there is constant encouragement from both faculty and peers.
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: I plan to get involved in sports, business development, or international law.
Advice for Future Students: Take advantage of the many unique opportunities available and enjoy the chaos that is 1L while it lasts!
Max Stone
Hometown: White Rock, British Columbia, Canada
Undergraduate University and Major: Western Washington University, Philosophy and History
Extracurricular Activities: Trial Team, Religious Liberty Clinic, Christian Legal Society
Legal Work: Institute for Justice Dave Kennedy Fellow
Favorite Thing about Pepperdine: My favorite things about Pepperdine are the Christian Legal Society and the Dean’s Bible Study. The Christian legal community at Pepperdine Caruso Law is second to none, and it is such a blessing to share in fellowship with that group multiple times a week.
Plans after Pepperdine Caruso Law: I am currently undecided about what I will do after I graduate.
Advice for Future Students: Take law school as an opportunity to excel because of your faith, not in spite of it or without it.