Inspiring students stay in the Trojan spirit while making a difference

Nobody planned for a year like 2020, but that didn’t stop USC students from inspiring us and making their mark.

Whether working on the COVID-19 front lines, raising money to help struggling neighborhood businesses or dedicating themselves to community and service, take a look at some of the Trojans we met this year who make us proud.

? Environmental studies student Jasmine Sears:

“The more I learned about fashion production, the more I was convinced that this is the perfect place to implement sustainability.”

https://news.usc.edu/166955/jasmine-sears-usc-student-fashion-sustainability-environmentally-friendly-clothes/

? Transfer student and veteran Matt Mena:

“I’m a computer science major, and some [other] schools can have 1,200 students in some of those classes early on. I didn’t want to deal with that.”

https://news.usc.edu/178285/math-and-the-military-leads-air-force-veteran-to-usc/

? MBA candidate Lauana Rodrigues Pereira Herbert:

“The ship is like a small city. The captain is the mayor, and I’m the director of the health department.”

https://news.usc.edu/170846/accelerated-mba-student-usc-marshall-cruise-ship-doctor-covid-19/

? Guardsman and recent grad Justin Lee:

“I hope that our communities stay resilient, keep depending on one another and collaboratively practice safety guidelines.”

https://news.usc.edu/170203/justin-lee-california-army-national-guard-covid-19-usc-grad/

? Stem cell donor Alec Fisher:

“You can’t let fear push you away from things. The fact is I can provide something for this person that could save their life, and I didn’t want to let fear take that away.”

https://news.usc.edu/171219/alec-fisher-usc-student-stem-cells-donation-leukemia/

? Reservist, master’s student and mom Melissa Hooper:

“Applying to USC — a university at this level — was a new experience. When I got the letter of acceptance, I couldn’t believe it. I held onto it for a week before I showed anyone. I was kind of afraid it might be a mistake.”

https://news.usc.edu/178281/army-reservist-college-melissa-hooper-veteran-usc-marshall/

? Virtual peer mentor Maria Tangalos:

“I was definitely worried that people might not want to speak with me or that we wouldn’t be able to foster those kinds of natural environments, but Residential Education found a way.”

https://news.usc.edu/178444/virtual-peer-mentors-usc-remote-first-year-students/

? Filmmaker Madison Holbrook:

“Of course, I was upset that we couldn’t have an in-person screening. Then I thought, maybe this is an opportunity”

https://news.usc.edu/171493/usc-student-film-madison-holbrook-virtual-screening-cinematic-arts/

? Future doctor Nicholas Chapman:

“I know how it is to almost fall through the cracks, the fear as if you will lose everything. I decided I didn’t want to ever have anyone else have that feeling of losing their life, so conserving lives is my idea.”

https://news.usc.edu/169581/

? Head of the class Isabella Hauptman:

“I’ve wanted to be an epidemiologist since I was 11 years old, which is a very odd thing for an 11-year-old to stumble across. Growing up telling people I wanted to be an epidemiologist was very weird, because nobody knew what it was.”

https://news.usc.edu/170211/

? First-year Trojan and Neighborhood Academic Initiative alum Ivan Garcia:

“I’ve been helped by USC all this time. It just felt like the better option for me.”

https://news.usc.edu/trojan-family/usc-college-prep-program-nai-neighborhood-academic-initiative/

? And don’t miss:

Five ways USC students are making the world a better place: In a time of great upheaval and need, USC students lead efforts to strengthen and support their communities.

Students get creative to support University Park businesses during pandemic: USC Marshall seniors put their entrepreneurial mindset to work, creating and selling T-shirts to raise money for student favorites like Caveman Kitchen, El Huero and more.