Pepperdine GSEP Partners with Watts Learning Center for a Joyful Step Forward Day Celebration
On Thursday, September 11th, the Graduate School of Education and Psychology’s (GSEP) Office of Alumni Engagement, led by Dr. Renee Dorn, united with the Foster Grandparent Program, led by Dr. Shanetta Weatherspoon, to support Watts Learning Center Elementary School during their Back-to-School Night as one of Pepperdine University’s annual Step Forward Day events.
This volunteer day of service brought together Pepperdine alumni, students, faculty, staff, foster grandparents, and community members to help launch the school’s new literacy initiative, Owl-lympics: The Wise Owls Reading Challenge. The collaborative event featured festive activities and generous contributions aimed at enriching the educational experience for Watts Learning Center students and families.
The celebration included food vendors, game trucks, a book drive, and classroom gift registries from Amazon and Lakeshore Learning to help teachers stock their classrooms with essential supplies. In a crowd-pleasing highlight, members of the Pepperdine Cheerleading Team—coordinated by Coach Madeline Massingill—taught cheers to the elementary school students, creating a joyful atmosphere that encouraged school spirit and community pride.
By the Numbers:
- Students in attendance: 200
- Parents and family members: 250
- Student volunteers: 20
- Pepperdine alumni volunteers and donors: 12
- Pepperdine cheerleaders: 4
- Foster Grandparent volunteers: 20
- Tutors: 5
- Community vendors: 11
- Elementary school faculty and staff: 32
- Items donated from gift registries: 103
- Books donated: 178
- Total value of donations: $4,461.49
- Total number of individuals impacted: 543
Special thanks to LaShon Conroy, Operations Manager at the Pepperdine Hub for Spiritual Life, and Katelyn Negrete, Program Administrator for Clinical Psychology at GSEP, for their leadership in coordinating the book drive. Their efforts, along with the support of many others, helped make the event a meaningful day of service and connection.
The event also received coverage in The Los Angeles Sentinel, which highlighted the vibrant community partnerships and celebratory atmosphere that defined the evening: Read the article.
As GSEP continues to champion purpose, service, and leadership, events like Step Forward Day reflect the school’s deep commitment to community engagement and lasting social impact.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who participated and look forward to returning next year to continue building partnerships that uplift and empower.