COMMENCEMENT
George L. Graziadio Business School
Saturday, August Twelfth, Two Thousand Twenty-Three Ten Thirty in the Morning
Malibu, California
Marshal ABRAHAM U. PARK
Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
Associate Professor of Finance
Processional Pomp and Circumstance (Elgar)
Invocation JOSEPH CHENG
Associate Professor of Finance
Pledge of Allegiance
EBONY STANLEY
Class of 2023
National Anthem HOSSANNAH MAJUELO
Director of Recruitment and Advising, Part-Time Programs
Class of 2023
Presiding JAY L. BREWSTER
Provost
Student Address
ANTONIO GASKIN
Class of 2021
Class of 2023
Presentation of Distinguished Alumnus Award
DEBORAH F. CROWN Dean
BRANDI M. HARLEAUX Class of 2012
Commencement Address
BRANDI M. HARLEAUX
Chief Executive Officer, South Post Oak Recycling Center
Presentation of Candidates for Baccalaureate and Graduate Degrees
Conferring of Baccalaureate and Graduate Degrees
Benediction
DEBORAH F. CROWN
JAMES A. GASH President
Class of 1993, Caruso School of Law
ANN E. FEYERHERM
Professor of Organizational Theory and Management
(The audience will rise for the benediction and be seated during the recessional.)
Recessional Pictures at an Exhibition (Mussorgsky)
THE MISSION OF THE GRAZIADIO BUSINESS SCHOOL
The mission of the George L. Graziadio Business School is to develop values-centered leaders and advance responsible business practice through education that is entrepreneurial in spirit, ethical in focus, and global in orientation.
As a professional school growing out of the tradition of a Christian University, we seek to positively impact both society at large and the organizations and communities in which our students and graduates are members. Therefore, we affirm a higher purpose for business practice than the exclusive pursuit of shareholder wealth. We believe that successful management seeks collective good along with individual profit and is anchored in core values such as integrity, stewardship, courage, and compassion.
GEORGE L. GRAZIADIO, JR.
1919 – 2002
George L. Graziadio, Jr., benefactor and namesake of the Graziadio Business School at Pepperdine University, enjoyed a long and storied career that continues to positively impact education and enterprise. With his business partner George M. Eltinge, Mr. Graziadio founded and opened in 1963 the first Imperial Bank in Los Angeles, which became a leading financial institution with $8 billion in assets. As a partner in the Eltinge and Graziadio Development Company and other real estate firms, Mr. Graziadio also developed more than 100 shopping centers and stores in 20 states.
During his abundant life, Mr. Graziadio devoted time, leadership, and resources to a host of civic and community causes. He served as international president of the 20-30 Clubs and the World Council of Young Men’s Service Clubs, chairman of the board of trustees of the Hugh O’Brian Youth Foundation, a board member of the French Foundation of Alzheimer’s Research, and a member of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. He also served on the boards of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and was a charter member of the National Italian American Foundation, which awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award for Humanitarian Service.
Mr. Graziadio was the deserving recipient of many honors, including the Horatio Alger Award, the Albert Schweitzer Leadership Award, the Newcomen Society Award, the Great American Traditions Award of the B’nai B’rith Foundation, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Pepperdine University. Other recognitions include the Marconi Award from the Sons of Italy of America, the EDDY Award from the Los Angeles Economic Development Agency, the President’s “E” Award from the US Department of Commerce, the Americanism Award and the Good Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America, the Humanitarian Award of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Grande Ufficiale Award in the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy.
In 1996 Mr. Graziadio and his wife, Reva, whose involvement with Pepperdine spanned many years, made a monumental gift to the University’s business school, which gained a proud new identity bearing his name. Mr. Graziadio served with distinction as the founding chair of the Graziadio Board. Today, the beautiful Villa Graziadio Executive Center on Pepperdine’s Drescher Graduate Campus stands in testament to the steadfast commitment of the couple, whose legacy endures at the Graziadio School through the active involvement of their children, Mary Lou, Alida, and Louis, and their spouses.
ANTONIO GASKIN
Antonio Gaskin is a director of field operations at Frontier Communications, overseeing operations, community engagement, and market growth while ensuring the reliable provision of broadband internet, video, and telephone services to clients throughout Southern California. Previously Mr. Gaskin served in several leadership roles at Verizon, where he trained and directed technician teams; implemented processes to keep pace with an ever-changing technological landscape; and increased productivity, efficiency, service performance, and customer satisfaction.
Mr. Gaskin serves on the boards of both the United Cambodian Community and the Long Beach branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and he volunteers at the Union Rescue Mission in Downtown Los Angeles. During his time at the Graziadio Business School, Mr. Gaskin was active in student life, participating as a student ambassador, an executive mentor to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Management program, and as president of the Black Student Association.
Antonio Gaskin received his associate of arts from Marymount California University in 2019, and in 2021 completed his bachelor’s degree at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. In 2022 he earned associate’s degrees in labor studies and interdisciplinary studies from Los Angeles Trade Technical College. Today he will receive his executive master of business administration from the Graziadio Business School.
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BRANDI M. HARLEAUX
Brandi M. Harleaux is chief executive officer of South Post Oak Recycling Center in Houston, Texas, where she oversees the responsible, sustainable handling of scrap metal from private, industrial, and governmental clients. She is a sought-after speaker and entrepreneurial expert who openly turns to her personal faith as a guide in her life’s work and service.
Previously Mrs. Harleaux worked at various Fortune 500 companies including Northrop Grumman, Target Corporation, Southern California Edison, and the Walt Disney Company, where she served in leadership roles using her expertise in organizational development and talent management. In 2013 she took the reins at South Post Oak Recycling Center, becoming the second generation to lead the business founded by her parents nearly 30 years ago.
Mrs. Harleaux has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including the International Rising Star Award from the Houston International Trade Development Council in 2021. This year she received both the Texas Small Business Person of the Year Award and the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Mrs. Harleaux serves on the board at the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries and chairs the advisory board for Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity. In 2022 she joined the Graziadio Board and has been a dedicated leader of the Houston chapter of Pepperdine’s Alumni Association since 2016.
Brandi Harleaux received her bachelor of science in psychology and business administration from the University of Houston. She earned a master of science in industrial organizational psychology from California State University, San Bernardino, and in 2012 she completed her MBA at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School.
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RECOGNITION OF HONOR STUDENTS
Distinctive caps, gowns, and hoods have been worn at college and university functions since the Middle Ages, when scholarship was usually associated with a church or monastery. Over the years, the simple hooded gown or cassock evolved into a distinctive academic costume.
Baccalaureate students who achieve a grade point average of 3.5 over their entire undergraduate career, their work in residence, and their major are graduated cum laude and wear an orange honor cord. Those with a 3.7 average in each category are graduated magna cum laude and wear a royal blue honor cord, and those with a 3.9 average in each category are graduated summa cum laude and wear a gold honor cord.
The Pepperdine Graziadio Business School recognizes the superior academic performance of its graduate and undergraduate students that have qualified for and accepted membership in Beta Gamma Sigma, the international honor society for AACSB-accredited schools, by awarding the Beta Gamma Sigma honor medallion.
Today’s academic regalia is profoundly symbolic of the reverence that is still held for the pursuit of knowledge and the achievement of scholarship.
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PART-TIME PROGRAMS
Bachelor of Science in Management
Samareh Asljafari
Rafael Augusto Barrero
Dustin Drake Bennett
Ciani Champion Carter
Sierra Shannon Castaldi
Aaron Choi
Roanne Dasco
Omer Arda Deveci
Maja Dogonyaro
Saruulzaya Enkh-Amgalan
Elizabeth Espinoza
Pedro Luis Esquivel
Sahara Daniela Gurrola
Frederick Louis Heim Jr.
Ashley Kelly
Lucas J. Lefkowitz
Lisa Marie Martinez
Bobby Morgan
David A. Nader
Karina Oropeza
Oscar Mestizo Ortiz
Brittany Marie Bautista Perez
Rigoberto Perez Jr.
Tamara Rios
Tania Rostami
Tara Ann Rubin
Quamrun Nessa Salam
Moselle S. Sandler
Carolyn Irene Santos
Christopher Robert Saylor
Dianne Shimakura*
Lallbachan Simbudyal
Wing Yung Natasha Terri Tang *
Harutiun Harry Tirakyan
Adriana Manzo Torres
Humberto Torres
Mariely Velazquez
Yuvraj S. Virk
Master of Business Administration
Omar Bassam Abosaleem
Alejandra Anabel Aguirre
Sameer Zia Ahmed
Emmanuel Akosah
Andrews Alex
Alexy David Alexanderian
Daniela Alexanderian
Ciara Allison
Karla Sofia Amezcua
Molly Paige Miro Anabeza
Abigail Arrizola*
Lindsay Catherine Ayers
Daniel Eugene Balshin
Carly Bauta*
Tony Ray Beavers Jr.
Briana Becerra
Geraldine Becker
Breannia Biggs Venable
Hannah Shea Bivans
Patrick Pierce Bonner
Anna Louise Boucher
Lucy Boyadzhyan
Tony Curtis Braswell II
Tabitha Britt
Trinity Brocato
Krysanne Karyn Bryan
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Eric Bueser
Nikiko Tania Burnett
Leylani Lynn Busiello
Giselle Bustamante
Christine Michelle Butcher
Demetrius Lorenzo Carbin
Elizabeth B. Carreon
Christopher James Carrillo
Luis Javier Castellanos
Eduardo Castillo*
Juliana Chan
Charlene Chen
Jasmine Cheng
Jong Choi
Sara Jane Claypool
Stephanie Elizabeth Cuevas
Dalila Lafreda Cullins
Garvin Jentry Davis
Spencer Sheridan Davis
James Vincent DeMera IV
Tanysha Evette Delton
Angelica Monique DiMizio
Alejandro E. Diaz
Judith Renay Donovan
Kelci Douglas
Magda Lizbett Dubon
Brendan Louis Duffin
Zachary Garrison Elliott
Sara Akram Adly Fam
Ololade Famogbiele*
Julie Farias
Jonathan Jacob Fink
Christianna Kay Fjelstad
Zochilth Flores
Alexis Renee Frank
Andrea Jenell Freedlund
Brian Gambrell
Mary Savannah Garis
Richard John Georgs Jr.
Mildred M. Gil
Lauren Kelly Gilhooley
Matthew Jose Gonzalez
Ryan Lawrence Gray
Chad George Hage
Haile Yilma Haile
Inessa Hakobyan
Sabria Harper
Benjamin David Hendricks
Marlee Laura Hendricks
Shayan Heravi
Kevin Quang Vinh Hua
Grant Humason*
Susan Hutcheon
Adnan N. Hyder
Reza Jamasebi
Manomi Jayakody
Rachel Jin
John Jason Woods Jocson
Carson Kelly*
Cerena E. Keotahlian
Angel Simslen Kidka
John Kim
Samuel Suhyun Ko
Jacquelyn Nicole Koenig
Stephanie Kucharski
Brionna Monet LaGrone
Eric Labrador
David Williams Lamb
Quinntin Saint Laurent
Michelle Lee
Jennifer Lew Wright
Jori Liefschultz*
Jiamin C. Liu
Jacqueline Madrigal
10
Christian John Maronian
Monae Alexia Martin
Eduardo Xavier Martinez
Marshall Kane Maxwell
Robert Thomas McCormack
Rahim Alnoor Meghji
Soseh Melkonian
Carlene Meyer*
Jayme Miller*
Kerry Patrick Moore
Katherine Alexandra Mouzoon
Nathan Andrew Mueller
Amanpreet Singh Multani
Dianne Hok Murakami
Navid Namini
Kori Neal
Diana Necula*
Caroline Duyen Nguyen
Elaine Quynh-Vy Nguyen
Lauryn Keli Nimis
Akshay Oberoi
Tyler Layne Ocheltree
Dianna Osana*
Stetson Trent Palmer
Eleazar Perez
Francis J. Perez
Manuel John Perez
Laura Perry*
Lucie Pham
Daniel Pinar*
Llesenia Plata
Garnik M. Potikian
Joseph Benjamin Potter
Lynnette Tamai Pourghorban
Jamie Elizabeth Prahm
Kimberly Tracy Prince
Victoria Ann Prugo
Fatima Elena Quiusky
Henna C. Rahmani
Emily Catherine Ranieri
John Austin Ravert
Da’Janay Sunise Ray
Evgjenia Reci
Kim Reihman
Shane Richardson
Aaron George Rodgers
Richard A. Roeser
Brian Scott Rohm
Anastasia Romanowicz
Jeff Rothman
Dean Rowbotham
Tatiana Clara Safady
David Allen Schirmer II
Christine Nicole Schondek
Karta Rayne Shaffer
Brittany Alexandria Shallcross
Ashima Sharma
Samantha Lauren Shiener
Alison L. Slemaker
Cynthia M. Smith
Thomas Alexander Smith
Michael William Softa
Katherine Madeleine Solano
Andrea Lorraine Stoddard
Laura Ann Summervill
Zulkharnain Syed
Joanne Leum Tam-Jittrikawiphol
Rozin Nancy Tashchyan
Nathanael David Tessman
Vincent Omar Valdez
Monique P. Vapnik
Milenne Vega
Danielle Villafana*
Andrea Alejandra Villalobos
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Mark Phillip Viviano
Shawon Walker*
Markland Samuel Watson
Chloe Larken Weatherill
Jennifer Elizabeth Weeks
Kori Jaydon Williams
Rodney C. Williams
Sara Elizabeth Wulf
Jennifer Hideko-Yuriko Yamada
Chung Yi*
Niya Mohammed White
Shelby Cris Zarate
Tiffany A. Zern
David Howard Zimmerman
Master of Science in Business Analytics
David Patrick Charles Cox
Genevieve Drake*
Glenn Allen Gailey
Salvador Hernandez Rosas
Francis Atwine Kakuhikire
Susan Lee Kim
Sonia Rosado Mason
Omar Serrano*
Shiyu Teo
Gavin Riddick Welton
Lauren Zborovancik*
Master of Science in Human Resources
Amene Marie Ayub
Lindsay Elizabeth Budzinski
Melissa Chambers*
Ansel Deangelo Hicks III
Shelby Howe
Alicia Jackson
Antonio Lee
Sophia Roberts*
Pablo Alexis Romano
Mikayla Schaefer
Harrison Sothy
Master of Science in Management and Leadership
Janice Agsalog
Raven Julianna Bardales
Evelyne Carmona
Kelly Costa Chong
Hannah J. Chung
Jami Solveig Cirone
KeKoria Greer*
Roseanne Rebecca Hernandez
Curtis Ray Husted
Marla Blaire Jones
Erin Christina Kaufman
April Denae Kerr
Jonathan Paul Martinez
Angela Mae Richard
Ebony Starr Stanley
Alexis Thompson
Rakhee Arpana Uma
Antoine Valentone
Megan MacKenzie Wilking
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FULL-TIME PROGRAMS
Master of Business Administration
John G. McFarland
Caden Jacob Van Dahm
Anthony F. Vogt
Master of Science in Applied Finance
Abdul-Rahman Badawiya
Dennis Blyashov
Ning Cai
Dennis Tobias Chen
Jiacheng Chen
Alexandros Ioannis Efthivoulis
Xinhang Han
James Renegade Heyworth
Xiyan Hu
Chang Jiao
Weipeng Jin
Christine Tessa Lee
Yanjun Liu
Michael Evan Sugiarto
Yuchen Tang
Kalena Kay Teufel
Xueman Wang
Yifang Wang
Yiruo Wang
Austin Marin Wender
Zhaoting Xiang
Ofek Yakobi
Gaoshang Yu
Kai Zheng
Zhengyu Zhu
Master of Science in Business
Rachel Louise Ahrens
John David Baird
Kevin Barkhordar
Nicholas Ethan Catalano
Jiaqi Cheng
Stephen Anthony DeFranco Jr.
Xunxi Fang
Trevor Mac Kniskern
Theodoros Kouniniotis
Bingyi Lin
Hunter Dylan Arthur Lowery
Ruoxi Lu
Alexus McLeod
Karine Mkhitaryan
Ying Mo
Dhruvil Hiren Patel
Riley Elizabeth Patterson
Jerry W. Pearse
Prajeet Singh Sandhu
Zhuohao Shao
Thomas Steinke
Vincent Rey Valmont
Weiman Xia
Shuhan Yi
Xiaowen Yin
Jae Won Yoon
Jingzhe Zhang
Zhiyu Zhou
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Master of Science in Business Analytics
Nan An
Li Bai
Sagar Bains
Siwen Cao
Christopher Micheal Carr
Chase Edmond Carruth
Xuange Chang
Jiaqi Chen
Minkyu Cho
Giulio De Renaldy
Junnan Fu
Jianzheng Gao
Haozhuo Geng
Sahej Singh Gill
Keivan Darius Golchini
Kevin Gordon
Xun Huang
Mohan Jiang
Bingxin Jin
Zhitao Lai
Kuangzheng Li*
Peichao Li
Dongqi Liu
Jintao Liu
Yuejun Liu
Di Lu
Xujin Luo
Yuewei Lyu
Tingxuan Ma
Adam Sulaiman Malik
Gregory Scott Mehlhaff
Yufan Niu
Qiheng Ou
Ellen Setiawan
Yujia Shen
Tianle Sheng
Zhe Su
Mucheng Sun
Ruihong Sun
Zhuoyin Tang
Yanjun Wan
Chengrui Wang
Meichen Wang
Xinzhe Wang
Hongen Wen
Colt J. Wiens
Yao Xiang
Ziran Xiao
Yuzhao Xie
Yining Yin
Tim Zeitvogel
Ruizhuo Zhai
Qi Zhang
Yuying Zhang
Zhaohao Zhang
Mengying Zhou
Jianyue Zhu
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Master of Science in Global Business
Aitong Yu Yifei Zhang
Master of Science in Real Estate
Riley James Barrett
Carolyn Eva Campana
Jinwoong Choi
Bryce Richard Conto
Christian F. Deindoerfer
Kwan Ching Onni Guo
Nadia Kwiatkouski
Di Mao
Andrew Samuel Mossighi
Dylan Nobel
Bradley Keith Palmer
Brianna Alexandra Piacitelli
Magdalena-Tabea Anna Steinmann
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Master of Science in Organization Development
Katherine V. Ai Le*
Christine Elizabeth Allee
Nann ChanChan Aye
Charles Winfred Billingsley III
Alanna Danielle Brahms
Corinna Calhoun
Miriam Hawk Chambers
Matthew Dominic DeVandry
Tamara Marie Downs
Thomas M. Draper
Rebecca Escobar
Lori Rose Fay
Paul David Gowin*
Katherine Sarah Hanisian
Jeremy Charles Haynes*
Henry M. Hughes IV
Jessica Ann Kaufman
Solveig Cirone Jami
Chris Marie Lewis*
Zsate Lewis*
Desirae Mahs
Hossannah Majuelo
Megan Malave
Beth McGraw*
Timothy Joseph Priestley*
Carly Suzanne Riehle*
Lleni N. Sandoval
Kelsey M. Stout
Golnaz Tahsini
Angela Dixon Williams
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EXECUTIVE PROGRAMS
Master of Business Administration, Executive
Bertha E. Aguirre
Saif Alshagra
Lindsay Anastasio
Daniel Martin Arredondo
Robin D. Cayton
Jason Thomas Corkrum
Sandra Estrada
Tyler Harley Ford
Antonio Gaskin
Adrian Luke Jimenez
Duy Le
Osoria Martinez
Shanmugam Muthukumarasamy
Darnell Dupone Olivere
Master of Business Administration, Presidents and Key Executives
Brandon G. Brown
Wesley S. Bull
Alexander Christopher Gonzalez
Kristina Elizabeth Hawk
Bryan S. Kang
Kim Elizabeth Lewis
Marco Orozco
Claret David Presley
Congcong Qian
Stanley Cortez Webster
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DOCTORAL CANDIDATES BY HOODING FACULTY
Doctor of Business Administration, Executive
Dr. Jillian Alderman
RODNEY W. KOCH
Impact of Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) on the Management Accounting Profession
Dr. Ann Feyerherm
COURT CARRUTHERS
Effects of Corporate Cultural Distance on Private Company M&A Outcomes
JOHN MICHAEL. ROSE
Evaluating the Effects of Organizational Culture on Post-Merger Integration
Dr. Nelson Granados
MATTHEW CHRISTOPHER FOSTER
Factors Driving Enterprise Adoption of Blockchain Technology
OLASENI M. HAZZAN
Entrepreneurship or Dealpreneurship: Theory Building and Failure Analysis of the Startup vs. Buy Dilemma
Dr. Kevin Groves
EDWARD JOHN PIECEK
Give and You May Receive: Examining Transparent Leadership Through the Lens of Leader-Follower Relationships
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Dr. Cristel Russell
RICHARD H. CHAU
Whose Home Is It Anyway? A Study of Shared Homeownership Arrangement Choices
JOY SHIELDS
Coming to Your Senses: An Exploratory Journey into Consumer Consumption
Dr. David Smith
ALIYU A. AHMED
The Relationships Among Financial Literacy, Financial Behaviors, Financial Attitudes, and Holding a Mortgage Within Low-Moderate-Income (LMI) Households in Los Angeles County
Member, Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. Pepperdine Executive Associates, graduates with white tassels, are an elite inner circle of loyal supporters who uphold the Graziadio School’s reputation as a preeminent global business school.
*Graduate of a different term.
Note: This is not an official graduation list.
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Accessible Seating
SERVICES
Blue chairs indicate the area for accessible seating plus one accompanying guest. Please find posted signs or ask an usher for assistance.
Drinking Water
Drinking water is available in dispensers around various locations outside Firestone Fieldhouse.
First Aid
Lost and Found
First aid is available at the information booth near the entrance of Firestone Fieldhouse. If an emergency occurs, please ask the nearest usher for assistance.
Please visit the information booth near the entrance of Firestone Fieldhouse regarding any lost or found items.
Restrooms
Restrooms are located inside Firestone Fieldhouse. Follow posted signs or ask an usher for directions.
Stroller Policy
Strollers are permitted in the venue but are not permitted in any seating areas. Strollers are to be parked in the designated lobby area inside the Firestone Fieldhouse.
To view a live broadcast of this event, scan the code or go to go.pepperdine.edu/commencement
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