Pepperdine Scholar Promotes Campus Inclusivity, Pursues Behavioral Economics
Pepperdine University Posse Scholar Ivy Leroux is a fourth-year student who has thrived as a campus leader, working to make her campus safer and more inclusive. Ivy established the Feminist Club on campus to empower all students, regardless of gender identity, by bringing attention to important issues related to gender stereotypes. The club was awarded Best New Organization on campus in 2021.
Ivy was motivated to start the club to help address some of the uncomfortable experiences she and other classmates had experienced in the community. Through engagement she hoped to encourage fellow students to be more aware of societal pressures on campus and off. While Ivy has been steadfast in her work, the group’s plans were disrupted, first by the Woosley Fire that affected Pepperdine’s campus in 2018 and then by COVID-19.
“Posse has made me realize that leadership comes in all different forms.”
“I wanted to create a safe space that offered community and intersectional inclusion to everyone,” says Ivy.
When the campus shifted to remote instruction, club members continued to engage the student body. Through partnerships with other organizations, the Feminist Club was able to reach a broader audience. The club hosted joint virtual events with Pepperdine sorority and fraternity groups, other organizations, and the American University in Paris. In 2021, the club supported returning students as they re-acclimated to the campus and hosted a donation drive for a women’s shelter. Ivy says her work as president of the organization has been influenced by her Posse community members.
“Posse has made me realize that leadership comes in all different forms,” she says. “One common trait I see within leaders is the ability to pull the best out of people who work with them or around them. It helps build camaraderie, uniting people to achieve common goals.”
As Ivy approaches her last semester of college, the double major in economics and psychology is balancing coursework and a continued commitment to her campus. Pleased to have recently received a job offer from global consulting firm Kearney, Ivy aims to eventually pursue a doctorate in behavioral economics.
