Pacifica Stories

Luc (Class of ‘15), Jake (Class of ‘17), and Kai (Class of ‘23) Esprabens are all graduates of Pacifica and have been pursuing lives of thinking and living well since their time as Seawolves and beyond. We followed up with these three brothers to find out what they’re up to now and to gather their reflections on the impact Pacifica has had in their lives. 

Q: What are you currently up to for work? What do you do, why do you do it, and where do you do it? 
Luc (’15): I’m continuing my education and am currently a PhD student in applied economics at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. My focus is on environmental economics where I study how climate and climate-related policies impact individuals’ well-being and decisions. Being a PhD student consists of conducting my own original research, collaborating with professors and other PhD students, and helping to teach courses. It’s a unique discipline that combines math with human behavior to study how decisions are made under a set of constraints. Economists study a wide variety of topics including how humans interact with the environment. Once I receive my doctorate, I hope to become a professor and continue my research.

Jake (’17): After college, I moved to Arlington, Virginia to work for a very small, but rapidly growing, marketing research company called Human Made Machine. Our company specializes in creative testing, which is essentially using quantitative and qualitative methodology to evaluate advertisements before they’re actually put into market. I’m currently working as a market research analyst here. During a typical work day, I collect data, analyze it, and deliver insightful reports for our market-leading clients, such as Google, YouTube, and Essence. I’ve enjoyed being able to apply the skills that I’ve developed through years of studying at Pacifica and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Kai (’23): In the fall, I will be attending UC Berkeley as a freshman majoring in statistics. I hope to use my time at Berkeley to help me find a job in the tech field once I graduate.

Q: What are your hobbies and/or passions? 
Luc (’15): Like most people who grew up in Los Angeles, I am a big Dodgers fan and continue to follow them while on the east coast even if it means staying up late to catch the games! I also enjoy reading, specifically fiction, and the east coast has copious book stores where you can always find new and used books. My brothers and I enjoy playing video games, watching anime, and talking about soccer as well.

Jake (’17): I discovered my love for running in high school, thanks to the cross country and track programs that were run by Coach Shaw. While I took some time off from running in college, I have rekindled my love for the sport since moving to Virginia. Arlington and Washington, DC offer a plethora of running groups and trails, which makes it easy and enjoyable to get out and exercise. I’m currently training for the Chicago Marathon, which takes place on October 8th of this year. After that, I am going to tackle the Boston Marathon in 2024. When I’m not running, I will typically be watching soccer or playing in a local casual sports league.

Kai (’23): I’ve always loved playing and watching sports from a young age. It started with just soccer and baseball, but Pacifica allowed me to find new sports I love, like Cross Country and Volleyball! I’m also passionate about music! I’ve been playing the viola for the past 10 years of my life and I have completed up to Level 8, with state honors, of the Certificate of Merit Exam, run by the Music Teachers’ Association of California. My favorite type of music to play is classical music. I also enjoy traveling to new places, as I like to learn about different cultures. I even traveled to Japan recently! I also enjoy playing board games with my family every Friday night.

Q: Tell us about your educational journey. Where did/are you studying? What did you study? What did you enjoy about your studies?
Luc (’15): After Pacifica, I attended UC San Diego for my undergraduate degree and graduated in 2019. I received a degree in Joint Mathematics-Economics with a minor in Accounting. After UCSD I was selected for the American Economic Association Summer Program where I learned more about economics from leading scholars in the field, took PhD-level courses, and conducted original research. This program served as excellent preparation before beginning my graduate studies at Cornell. At Cornell, I received my Master’s degree and am now starting my 3rd year of my PhD, both focusing on applied economics. I’ve always enjoyed math in school, and economics is a math-intensive discipline. Getting to continue learning about math and using it to ask and answer interesting research questions about human decision making has made the many years of school worth it!

Jake (’17): In 2017, I went up the coast of California to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Here, I studied Statistics and minored in Economics. The program jumped right in, introducing me to statistical concepts and programming languages during my very first quarter in college. I quickly realized that I had chosen the perfect major; I thoroughly enjoyed constantly working with data and learning new analytical methods. I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to apply my learnings through research projects at school. During my 3rd year, I tackled the question of what Major League Baseball teams attracted the most “bandwagon fans”. The following year, I worked with a professor in the Kinesiology department to study the relationship between infant feeding habits and obesity. I graduated from Cal Poly in June of 2021 and am very grateful for the ample opportunities that the university has brought me.

Kai (’23): I’m going to start at UC Berkeley in the fall where I will be majoring in Statistics.

Q: Share some good memories of Pacifica and your time at the school. How did Pacifica prepare you for college and beyond?
Luc (’15): I have many good memories of Pacifica so obviously can’t list them all here! I’ll share some of the top ones though. I started on the cross country team when Coach Shaw first started at Pacifica way back in 2011. From intense summer camps to overnight trips to races, Coach Shaw and my fellow teammates (including Jake for two years!) made being part of this team one of my favorite high school experiences. I also really enjoyed my time on the baseball team, and Pacifica’s being a small school allowed me to fully participate in and enjoy both sports. Some of my other favorite parts of Pacifica include the retreat, the spring break trips, and the lifelong friends made there. Pacifica prepared me well for college and shaped my interests in what I do now and hope to do in the future.

Jake (’17): The cross country and track seasons came with some of the best memories at Pacifica. From jovial team trips to Oregon, Big Bear, Stanford, and Las Vegas to collectively suffering through Coach Shaw’s rigorous workouts, these are moments that will always stick with me. Another one of my favorite memories came from the 2015 Spring break trip to Italy. During one of our nights in Rome, we had some free time to explore the city on our own; however, as the deadline to meet up with the rest of the group quickly approached, my friends and I realized we were a bit lost. On top of that, rain started to fall. As we couldn’t wait out the downpour, we decided to make a run for it. The simple, yet surreal experience of running through the wet cobblestone streets of Rome with my best friends is an unforgettable memory. Pacifica did a great job in preparing me for college and beyond. My interest in statistics actually started at Pacifica when I took AP Statistics with Mr. Kirchner. He did exceptionally well in making this class captivating and enjoyable, influencing me to study the subject in college and ultimately helping shape the path that I’m currently on. This and the other challenging and thought-provoking classes at Pacifica taught me to tackle problems from a different perspective, which has been a valuable skill to have in college and at my current job.

Kai (’23): I’ve made so many great memories at Pacifica that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life! The fondest memory I have of Pacifica is winning the CIF Championship with the boys volleyball team! From being knocked out in the first round of CIF my junior year to winning CIF and making it to the semi finals of the State tournament my senior year, the growth and improvement our team had and the team culture that we formed is something I’ll never forget. Another fond memory I have of Pacifica is the France trip last Spring! Being able to travel to a country that I’ve been wanting to go to for years with some of my closest friends is an experience I’ll always cherish. In terms of preparation for college, I feel that Pacifica did an excellent job in helping me step out of my comfort zone. Whether it be intense Socratic seminars, thought-provoking philosophical questions, or difficult group-projects, I constantly pushed myself out of my comfort zone to try and tackle challenging material and master new ways of learning.