50 for 50 Spotlight: Kameron Edwards

"Pepperdine Caruso Law has done a great job of making the online courses quite interactive, giving a great impression of the traditional classroom setting and creating a nice balance of independence and integration."

Kameron Edwards is many things. This Rancho Cucamonga native is a member of the Pepperdine Class of 2020, a wizard with a basketball as the #20 Waves forward, a West Coast Conference Player of the Week, older brother to sophomore and teammate Kessler Edwards, and finally, a candidate in Pepperdine Caruso Law's Online Master of Legal Studies Program. However, Kameron says, he is most proud of being a Pepperdine Scholar-Athlete. "Being able to balance athletics and academics at a prestigious institution such as Pepperdine is something I don't take lightly," Kameron explains. "I'm grateful that I was able to find success both on and off the court during my time at Pepperdine. I can only attribute that to the faculty, students, teammates, coaches, and overall environment that Pepperdine provided me with to be able to succeed."

While the Coronavirus pandemic has rewritten the Class of 2020's final chapter in Malibu, students like Kameron are optimistic about their plans for the future. Kameron will be playing basketball professionally next season but will not know exactly where until operations begin to return to a semblance of normalcy. As he wraps up his final semester from home, Kameron looks back on his experience balancing athletics with his undergraduate studies and graduate course load. Ultimately, he describes the quarantine as bittersweet: "I am extremely grateful to be able to spend time with my family and have so much free time on my hands, but at the same time, it has been a bit of a challenge to stay motivated and stay busy during this time."

Kameron has an advantage learning from home, though, as he has tremendous experience with online education from the Online MLS program. "In my experience, online education has allowed me to be a lot more independent than in a traditional classroom setting, which I enjoy." He adds, "But Pepperdine has also done a great job of making the online courses quite interactive, giving a great impression of the traditional classroom setting and creating a nice balance of independence and integration."

Balancing his undergraduate coursework with MLS classes and athletics taught Kameron a great deal about time management. Kameron became adept at planning how much time he needed to spend on various tasks, which improved his ability to remain disciplined and complete all his assignments. In addition, Kameron admits, it helped that the majority of his MLS courses were in the evening, ideal for a student or professional looking to balance their work and responsibilities.

From contract negotiation to conflict resolution, dealing with property, and much more, Kameron says he has learned a trove of skills that will be easily applicable to his career and life. The biggest takeaway, he says, is just how applicable the MLS program is to everyday life. Additionally, he sees this as an insightful introduction to the JD program at Caruso Law.

Kameron's advice to his fellow underclassmen: "I would highly encourage other undergraduates to take advantage of the dual enrollment option. It gives an outstanding foundation of the law and how to become an effective mediator and arbitrator. On top of that, the skills learned can be applied to a number of career paths."

Pepperdine Caruso Law offers two online master's programs for professionals looking to set themselves apart: a Master of Dispute Resolution and a Master of Legal Studies with an optional concentration in dispute resolution.