Academia can be a competitive landscape, but for two doctoral candidates completing their PhD studies in May 2024 at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, it has been an opportunity to lift each other up. The educational journeys of Adriane Clomax (she/her) and Rory O’Brien (they/them) mirrored each other as recipients of the Oakley Fellowship endowed by the USC Provost.
Category: We Are SC Story
Ever since she was seven years old, Keshia Albrecht seemed destined to work in real estate.
Growing up in the Florida panhandle, Albrecht remembers “For Sale” signs sparking her curiosity as she wondered who was buying and selling the vacant swamp lands.
Victoria Pinkett, hands-on learner and student leader, shares how she’s made the most of her USC experience.
USC Rossier alum Mariah Lora MAT ’24 shares her academic journey from the basketball court and pageant stage to the classroom and commencement podium.
For graduating student Brooke Rios, the path to engineering excellence was discovered in the powerful alliances she forged along the way.
A poet who recently published her first two collections, Class of 2024 graduate Meredith Lapidas also has a background as a contortion artist.
For Alyssa Warburton, life is a dedication to service for her country. First, serving five years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and now advocating for veterans in rural Washington state who are struggling to transition to civilian life and at risk for suicide.
Political science major Sophia Perez, fueled by personal experience with housing insecurity, advocates for tenants’ rights.
Graduating computer science senior Carlos Ramirez on the healing power of music, long-awaited family reunions and landing his dream job.
Jaime Gomez, who spent six years in the U.S. Army and 16 years in the business world before becoming a first-generation college student, graduates with honors and an undergraduate degree in history.