From the moment Loren Eastman became an initiated member of Pepperdine’s Eta Beta chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma, she said she found a home away from home.
She didn’t know then that she would become president of this sorority. Most people are surprised to learn that she’s held a leadership position and became the Kappa Kappa Gamma president.
“I guess to some people I come across as quieter,” Eastman said. “In order to be a leader you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room. Leading by example is a huge thing too, it is more important than what you say at times.”
Eastman, originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, is a 22-year-old senior biology major graduating this May. In Kappa, she has served as the campus affairs chairman, on the academic committee, the standards committee and was philanthropy chair before she became president for the Spring 2023 to Fall 2023 academic semesters.
During her first year, Eastman said she was in a really bad place before sorority recruitment and she wanted to transfer universities.
“I didn’t find my people or place at Pepperdine, ” Eastman said. “I felt pretty lost.”
After becoming an initiated member of Kappa, Eastman said she felt a sense of home, especially since her family lived across the country.
“During freshman year my pledge class and I all hung out everyday and became close friends really quickly,” Eastman said.
When Eastman became president, she wanted to use her experience as a new member to cultivate the same experience for the newer members.
“I have learned how to be a leader through ups and downs and trial and error,” Eastman said. It’s taught me how to properly have hard discussions with people, which is such an important thing in life.”
As president, she said she wishes she could have taken more of the workload off the chapter council officers and made the general members feel involved through committees.
“Chapter council would have to show up early and stay late to set up and take down which caused burn out,” Eastman said. “Using the committees would have benefited everyone more.”
Eastman said her greatest accomplishment during her time in Kappa was finding who she considers the best people in the world outside of her family.
Loren Eastman grew up with her grandmothers and she said she admires both of her grandmothers, Elaine Satterfield and Royce Ann Eastman, the most.
Satterfield works in a laboratory that Eastman plans to work in after graduation.
“Nana Elaine grew up during a time where women didn’t double major in biology and chemistry,” Eastman said. “She realized she had an early passion for science and then became a scientist. I think that this is incredibly inspiring.”
Eastman said her other grandmother, Royce Eastman, has been one of her biggest inspirations and supporters. She described a beautifully deep relationship.
“I feel that our souls have met in another life,” Eastman said. “Nana Royce has taught me not to just accept ‘the norm’ of how things are in life and to question everything. We always have the deepest discussions.”
When Royce Eastman recalled a childhood memory of Loren Eastman, she instantly lit up and shared her excitement and pride in her granddaughter.
“Loren was born very astute, aware, inquisitive and very capable,” Royce Eastman said. “There was once a fishing game that tested a child’s balance and everyone told Loren she was too little to do it, but I said you watch her, she’ll do it.”
Loren Eastman had steady balance and caught all those fish.
“Anything Loren has done, she’s excelled,” Royce Eastman said.
Loren Eastman said she is most thankful for her extremely supportive family who push her to excel and catch her when she falls.
“I can rely on them for anything,” she said. “I am extremely lucky.”
One thing that instantly makes Eastman’s day better is that every morning, she will go into the library and Lindsay Russell will be there and instantly it’s just a better day for Eastman.
Russell, a senior theatre major, described Eastman as her closest friend who is hardworking and never does anything without trying to do it to the fullest.
Russell and Eastman became close friends after they received the same pair of pajamas before the “Big Little Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority Reveal.”
The matching pajamas meant they got alumna ‘21 Leila Anawalt as their big sister in Kappa.
“We were inseparable after,” Russell said. “Loren is the most genuine person you’ll ever meet, which is hard to come by.”
Like many graduating seniors, after graduation can feel scary and unknown but Eastman said she is looking forward to not having a roommate and having more independence.
“Five girls in a small house is a lot,” Eastman said.
Victoria La Ferla completed this story in Jour 241 under the supervision of Dr. Christina Littlefield.
