Communication is always the key for freshman communication major Madelyn Griffith, who views it as a pathway for life enjoyment and success.
In the short time Griffith has been on Pepperdine’s campus, she has utilized her passion in the communication field to help form tight bonds among her peers. She said her enjoyment in building and strengthening relationships ultimately led her to run for freshman class senator of the Student Government Association.
“I really like the idea of college students coming together to help out the campus on SGA,” Griffith said. “I just enjoy being the bridge between faculty and students to solve problems.”
Her devotion to communication has always been what drives her. She always liked to interact with people from a young age, and as she went into high school, she found that communications was the perfect field for her.
When she toured the campus as a prospective student, Griffith said she realized the smaller community on campus would provide beneficial interpersonal communication between professors and students.
“I really like interacting with people, and improving relationships with myself and others,” Griffith said. “Communication is the perfect outlet to do that in the professional field.”
She said SGA is the perfect opportunity for her to serve as a communicator between the administration and students at Pepperdine. Griffith also said she believes that SGA represents Pepperdine well.
“Because we do come together to serve others in our work, I believe we fulfill Pepperdine’s mission statement,” Griffith said.
Griffith said her unique position as a senator also allows her to learn of upcoming projects on campus beforehand, allowing her to feel she is behind the scenes. Her enthusiasm for communicating and effort in SGA inspired one of her peers.
“Madelyn is one the most empathetic people I know,” said Jacob Zanca, freshman economics major and senator on SGA. “I think her empathy serves herself and those around her very well, making her a successful senator and student.”
She has made a number of friends within SGA and throughout campus. Although Griffith is consistently busy, she always makes time for her friends.
No matter the task at hand, friends said she gives a great deal of time and effort into everything she does.
“She has such a passionate heart,” freshman communication major Autumn Bryant said. “She’s always tackling what’s in front of her with drive and optimism, working for the best possible outcome for everyone.”
Griffith said she works 20 hours a week as an usher at Smothers Theatre while maintaining her position on SGA and all of her classes.
While she loves the atmosphere at Pepperdine, Griffith also loves to travel, and she is going to spend a full year in Heidelberg next year. She said she applied as a residential adviser to further construct relationships, and she was excited when she got the position.
Griffith said she is eager to use her SGA experience when she becomes an RA abroad.
“Being on SGA, we do our best to establish relationships amongst the student body,” Griffith said. “RAs coordinate events for students abroad to essentially do the same, and I can’t wait to take my experience from SGA and apply it in Heidelberg.”
Race Dalton completed the reporting for this story under the supervision of Dr. Christina Littlefield and Dr. Theresa de los Santos in Jour 241 in Spring 2020. Dr. Littlefield supervised the web story.
