Marley Penagos

I am a rising senior at Pepperdine University majoring in journalism with a passion for people, storytelling, and human connection. At Pepperdine, I have had incredible opportunities to serve my community; as a Resident Advisor, Editor-in-Chief of Currents Magazine, as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Editor for The Graphic, and as Director of PR and Marketing for my sorority. Additionally, for the past four years, I have worked my way up from Intern to the Creative Writer at Pulse Marketing — a full service marketing agency in my hometown. 

Since graduating high school in 2019, I began working at a small marketing agency in my hometown of Murrieta, CA. I began as an intern, paying bills, getting coffee, and taking care of the odd jobs. As time passed, I was able to use my writing skills to begin working as the Creative Writer for the company. This experience allowed me to meet directly with clients to discuss core values, goals and the company mission in order for me to develop a unique voice in which I produced all of the client’s copy. As a full-service agency, I produced content for websites, emails, social media and more across various industries; from construction to foster agencies and donut shops to name a few. Now, with four years working part-time as a creative writer and taking courses as a full-time student, I am confident in my abilities as a leader, a communicator, and a team-member. 

This upcoming academic year will be my last as a student at Pepperdine University. As I prepare to graduate from a top-50 university, I reflect on my education as an incredible opportunity for me to grow as a leader and as a team player. My passion for story-telling has been the core of my educational experience, and I have worked on Pepperdine’s magazine, newspaper, and broadcast news channel in just about every position there is to offer. From the most basic entry-level position to becoming Editor-in-Chief of the magazine, I have learned so much about journalism, but have also gained invaluable experience working in a team. Wether it is leading a team or a dozen students to complete an award winning magazine, or writing a short story that will end up in the pages of one, collaboration and effective leadership have quickly become valuable skills of mine.