USC Dornsife scholar Peggy Kamuf elected to the British Academy
Photo of Peggy Kamuf
Peggy Kamuf joined USC Dornsife as a professor of French in 1988. (Photo / Peter Zhaoyu Zhou)

“I’m proud to be recognized by such a prestigious institution. I hope I’ll have the chance to take part in their activities and contribute my expertise.”

USC student is youngest elected official in Los Angeles County
Photo of Triston Ezidore
When he was sworn into office at 19, Triston Ezidore became the youngest person serving in elected office in Los Angeles County. (Photo / Courtesy of Triston Ezidore)

“[Moving around] gave me a bunch of tools that have helped me get to where I am right now. It’s taught me how to meet new people, how to start conversations, how to be in new environments and speak with people for the first time.”

USC Viterbi Student and Air Force Officer Makes Plans to Go to Space
Photo of Edward Proulx next to an airplane
U.S. Air Force Officer Captain Edward Proulx after his first acrobatic solo in flight school when he was then a marine aviator, 2nd Lt. in Las Cruces, NM. (Photo / Courtesy of Edward Proulx)

“It took me a long time to decide to go back to school because I wanted to be sure that I was really doing something that I loved. It’s all too easy to spend a significant portion of your life doing something you only sort-of like, but don’t truly don’t enjoy.”

First-generation USC student models herself after those who helped her succeed
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Los Angeles native Saianna Smith graduated from USCÕs college access program and is pursuing a masterÕs in educational counseling at USC Rossier. (USC Photo/Eric Lindberg)

“If I wasn’t involved in a college access program like NAI, I don’t think I’d be where I am today. Most of the students who went to my high school didn’t have those same kinds of resources to get to college.”

From USC student to the U.S. Foreign Service
Photo of Betty Thai
Betty Thai is a USC senior studying political science, law and East Asian languages and cultures. (Photo / Courtesy of Betty Thai)

“I realized there is so much more to this world that I want to see and learn about. And I loved living internationally. What career would help me advocate for others and continue learning about new cultures and lifestyles?”

Air Force vet takes his math talents to USC Viterbi
Photo of Matt Mena
Matt Mena joined the U.S Air Force after high school and served as an aviation specialist, troubleshooting and repaired electronics systems for planes. (Photo/Courtesy of Matt Mena)

“I’m a computer science major, and some of those schools can have 1,200 students in some of those classes early on. I didn’t want to deal with that. USC was a better fit in that regard, and the alumni network is strong.”

The Biomedical Engineer Scaling New Heights – Literally
Photo of Emily Powis rock climbing.
Class of 2022 USC Viterbi Biomedical Engineering graduate Emily Powis climbing at Tick Rock in Pacific Palisades, California. (Image / Jack Green).

“I’ve talked to a lot of people about it and people think that engineers and STEM-related people enjoy climbing because it’s a high failure sport. I think that’s very similar to engineering and research because you’re constantly making very incremental progress towards your goal, and I think it takes a special person to want to do that.”

Kailey Breyer Brings Joy – and a Little Coding – to Girls
Photo of Kailey Breyer and girls from Kailey's Queens.
In August 2019, Kailey Breyer (center) created Kailey's Queens, an in-person and now online "safe space for girls between 9 and 16 to disconnect from social media to create genuine connections, build leadership skills, and discover lifelong confidence." (Photo/ Courtesy of Kailey Breyer)

“I want to offer a creative and educational mix of activities to help expand girls’ minds and help them discover their interests. I want to show young girls how much beauty and strength we all have inside of us. I care deeply about their mental health, which is suffering.”

Two USC Rossier grads partner to reimagine military training
Photo of Victor Castro MEd ’19 and Richard DiNinni EdD ’22.
Richard DiNinni EdD ’22 (left) and Victor Castro MEd ’19 (right), have spearheaded programs that blend virtual reality and game-based training technologies with research-based pedagogy to transform how U.S. Military Academy cadets are taught. (Photo courtesy of Richard DiNinni and Victor Castro)

“It’s been a great partnership, in that we bring different strengths and experiences to the table but are both passionate about the same thing—developing new ideas and technologies to improve the learning outcomes for these cadets.”

A mental health superhero takes the White House
Photo of Carla Ibarra
Carla Ibarra, MPH candidate, at the White House. (Photo courtesy / Carla Ibarra)

“If this is a way for me to hold space for my community, I will do it. Any chance to be able to talk about my experience with the hopes of helping another person who may be going through a similar thing… I hope that helps them.”