Elisabeth H. is a junior international studies major and economics/Hispanic studies minor at Pepperdine University. Originally hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, Elisabeth considers her move to the west coast an unplanned “fluke,” but couldn’t be happier to be here. After a stint majoring in pre-med, she studied abroad in Argentina for eight months, an experience which changed her life and her entire career trajectory. Find out why with this inspiring interview!

How did a Midwest girl end up in California for college?

I had never been to California before I moved to Pepperdine. I never saw myself as a west coast kind of girl: my extended family lives on the east coast and it felt like a fluke that I ended up out here. But I came because I was given an academic merit scholarship that helped fund a good portion of my tuition. For me, it feels like God’s Providence that I’m here. Pepperdine was an outlier from all the east coast schools I applied to, and I didn’t expect it, but now that I’m here I really love it and feel like I’m supposed to be here.

Now that you’re a California Girl ™, do you surf?

I’ve only tried surfing a few times and it was pretty disastrous. But now I can’t handle cold weather: I’ve become weak. In that sense I’m a California girl!

How did you choose international studies as your major?

I was originally pre-med - my first two years at Pepperdine were full of science classes - but when I came back from abroad the beginning of this school year, I switched my focus because studying abroad in Argentina was really formative for me. I love Spanish and felt like while I could be a doctor and find a way to enjoy that career, it wasn’t my passion or what I loved or what I wanted to read about in my free time. I always had seen myself in science - science was more than a little piece of my identity, really - so it was a hard adjustment at first to be a non-science major. I had a mini identity crisis. But I switched to international studies because I really feel like my passions lie in politics and formulations and economics. I would love to work someday in a government role and go back to Latin America and live and work there again.

I added the minors of economics and Hispanic studies as well because I’ve always been interested in Spanish and originally thought I might even major or minor in it. Economics I just added this year after I took a class and loved it - I’ve gained a real passion for economics. I feel like economics is a way to change the world: the intricacies of it help to make smart and informed economic decisions. Development relies on that kind of education to build up places around the world: after all, robust economic institutions lead to robust political institutions.

How did Argentina prompt you to make such a radical change in your field of study?

I fell in love with the people and culture. I am fascinated by the history of Argentina’s cultural and political development, especially in how it has differed from US history and development. It fostered a bigger curiosity in me for politics, economics, Spanish, and understanding different cultures around the world.

How did your family respond to the change?

My family was pretty supportive. They’ve always trusted my decisions and trusted that I am making them with a clear head. I think they were a little apprehensive at first - especially my dad, dads will always worry a little - just about whether I could be financially stable when I graduate. But they see the importance of this field, and my passion, and they’re trusting it to work out.

How did you get started tutoring?

I started working at PCH the first semester of my freshman year after some friends referred me. Before I started tutoring, I didn’t know if I would like it or if it would be for me. But then I started it and really loved working one-on-one and developing relationships with high schoolers. I love the feeling of helping someone understand something, and when you finally find the right way to explain something that makes sense to them, that’s so rewarding. I get really invested in the students and I get excited when they understand something or get a good grade on a test.

What has had the biggest effect on you as a tutor?

Something that has really impacted me working with PCH Tutors is how these families really get to know you. I feel lucky to be paired up with families that know me and appreciate me. My freshman year I had a student who, the first time I came to their home, their mom asked me right away how I liked my tea. Every time after that whenever I came as soon as I sat down she brought me a tea made just the way I’d said I liked it the first time.

As a college student, you don’t get a ton of access to “normal” families and normal life, so for me this was something that really just was grounding. Twice a week I’d get to go and sit with this family and drink tea with them and be a part of their lives. It’s always been a stand-out community moment and something I love about tutoring with PCH.

What have you learned as a tutor/teacher?

I’ve been learning that not everyone’s minds work the same way. It seems like an obvious thing, but for me what’s been important is realizing that I can spin something this way, then use this example, then explain it that way, and overall try a bunch of different things with a student until we find what works. Because how I understand is quite often different from how someone else understands an idea or concept.

Working to find different creative ways and examples was something I needed to practice at and tutoring has definitely helped me understand that and made it clear to me how our minds work so many different ways. That doesn’t mean someone is more intelligent or disciplined than another. Some people work creatively and others work analytically. That understanding also plays into my love for understanding and engaging other cultures - international studies.

Who has been an influence on you and your tutor/mentor style?

My mom is a high school physics teacher and I had her as a teacher in high school. I went to a small high school so a lot of my friends had her as a teacher as well. She also led my high school robotics team - she was the coach, and I was on the team. Something that stood out, learning from my mom - she is one of my mentors but also a teacher - has been that I’ve been able to see how impactful and life-changing teaching can be. My mom always goes the extra mile, she stays late any time students need help - even students from other classes - she’s compassionate and selfless, loves people well, and is able to help students feel comfortable going to her with questions. She gives students a lot of grace and compassion. Seeing and experiencing that firsthand as a daughter and student and on the robotics team, and observing that through friends, I’ve seen how important it is to love people well and put them in an environment where they can learn and also mess up and make mistakes.

What is something you’ve found valuable that you enjoy sharing with your students?

One thing I really love to do is kind of what I was saying about my mom: it’s important to build relationships. If a student is comfortable with me, then they’re comfortable messing up, which is good because you learn so much from messing up. Building a relationship with that student and have it be a comfortable learning environment is what I’ve learned the most, and is the most effective.

What do you do for fun in your free time?

I have another job here on campus, I work for the Pepperdine Volunteer Center, that is something I spent a lot of time on and in that role I get to help match students up with service opportunities and plan cool stuff like blood drives and service days. That’s not really my free time per se, but it’s something I enjoy doing. I love to do all your typical things like go to the beach and eat food and read and travel, so in my actual free time I’m probably doing something like that.

I really really love podcasts, so many podcasts, it’s super nerdy.

Do you have any favorite podcasts you’d recommend?

I have a few, you might not want to get me started on that tangent! But currently I really like Radiolab and NPR’s Left, Right and Center, which posits politics and news from all the spectrum of perspectives. It’s good to hear all sides of an issue and have a full view of the event or whatever is happening in the news so you don’t get silo-d into your own views.

As an international studies student, do you have a favorite travel moment?

One of my favorite moments from being abroad was in Argentina last year. One of the things we did every Saturday was go to a farm about two hours from the city. We’d hang out with families that built this community away from the city for people struggling from drug problems. The story is that these parents had struggled with drugs but eventually got clean and moved out of the city and started a rehab-like community in the country with about 60 people. Every weekend we played soccer and ate and painted and practiced Spanish and played music and formed deep friendships with them: all these kids and teens and university students who grew up on this farm. That’s one of my favorite moments and memories of community in Argentina, getting to know people and culture and understanding friendships so intimately.

What’s your favorite Argentine food?

Medialunas. They’re like croissants, but a little denser, with a sugary glaze.

What else should we know about you?

The most important thing about me is that I have a nephew named Carson who is almost a year old. He’s the most lovable and best thing in my life. That is my favorite thing about me: Carson.

What’s something you’ve learned recently that you’ll take with you?

That studies don’t define what we have to do for the rest of our lives. It’s comforting to know my major doesn’t define me or what I want to do. In fact, my career will probably pivot and I’ll probably be doing a lot of things. That’s how it goes these days. But that’s okay.