Star Pupils
Recipients of the prestigious Astronaut Scholarship represent some of the country’s best and brightest STEM students.
The March Home
The USC Marching Band gets new digs—with tailor-made upgrades—at the Lyon Center. The Spirit of Troy’s newly unveiled headquarters include practice rooms, lockers and a display of band helmets through the ages.
Macki Alvarez-Mena,
Arjun Mehta, Nathan Wallace, Serene Boachie and Jared Bass, from left. (Photo/Cody Pickens)
Class of 2018
Innovators, thinkers, disruptors and problem solvers: The academy’s inaugural class heads into the world ready to tackle its challenges.
USC Trojans guard Jordan McLaughlin drives toward the basket against Arizona. (Photo/Maya Dondonyan)
The Game Changer
The highly sought-after recruit saw potential in the Trojans when few others did.
Mira's augmented reality headset, Prism, retails for $99. (Photo/Mira)
Reality Check
Trojan classmates-turned-entrepreneurs premiere a smartphone-powered headset.
Chris Ah San (Illustration/Jacqui Oakley)
Policy of Change
To help the community’s most vulnerable, Chris Ah San learns to navigate the world of policymaking.
USC architecture students will soon see their creativity come to life. They worked with ArtCenter College of Design students to reenvision a plaza and entrance to The Museum of Contemporary Art in L.A. (Photo/Buddy Bleckley)
Citizen Architect
USC architecture students reimagine ways to make the Museum of Contemporary Art even more accessible to visitors.
Jake Olson (Photo/John McGillen)
Trojan Voice
When he’s not training with the football team, the freshman works on his business startup, practices his golf swing and is always ready to pull a practical joke.
(Photo/Ben Chua)
Forging an Icon
After 25 years, a freshly forged blade stabs the field for the Trojan Marching Band.
Oluwole Betiku arrived in the United States after impressing coaches who were looking for players in Nigeria. (USC Photo/John McGillen)
Trojan Dreams
Natural talent, strong support and a little luck put dreams within reach for a football novice from Nigeria.
(Photo/Dustin Snipes)
Now and Again
A Jefferson Blvd entrance extends a pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare to USC Village.
USC's dramatic arts students take on virtual reality, video games, motion capture and more. | Illustrations by GlueKit
Changing Channels
Acting students prep for careers in virtual reality, video games and motion capture—with a firm grounding in classical training.
Inside USC Village
From USC student life and Trojan traditions to restaurants and stores, we’ve got everything you need to know about the $700 million Los Angeles residential-retail project everyone’s been waiting for.
With the addition of USC Village, undergraduate housing across USC expanded by 24 percent. (USC Photo/Gus Ruelas)
Inside USC Village
More than 9,000 students can now live in USC housing.
The crests for USC Village's eight new residential colleges honor unique qualities of each college.
Inside USC Village
Crests harken back to the symbols and traditions of USC.
Glow Yoga is just one of the wellness programs offered at USC.
Inside USC Village
The new USC Village gym expands signature programs, including personal training and group fitness classes.
Students from McCarthy Honors College at a 2017 spirit rally. | Photo by Michael Owen Baker.
Inside USC Village
Nearly 600 of the nation’s brightest students live at the unique residential college.
With different layouts and amenities, student lounges at USC Village are popular spots for socializing and watching movies or quiet study and relaxation.
Inside USC Village
Functional and stylish furniture are just some of the comforts for students.
ILLUSTRATION BY RODERICK MILLS
Sing Their Praises
A USC Thornton student promotes hope and diversity through choral music.
Four future lawyers illustrate the range of backgrounds and cultures at USC Gould. | PHOTO BY MIKEL HEALEY
Case Studies
Four future lawyers illustrate the range of backgrounds and cultures at USC Gould.
ILLUSTRATION BY LAURINDO FELICIANO
Trojan Leaders
A USC Rossier doctoral student opens the first educational institute for women, by women.
Alejandra Franco had college in her sights since childhood. | PHOTO BY NOÉ MONTES
The Way Up
About one of every five USC undergraduates has parents who didn’t go to college. And these first-generation Trojans are some of the university’s top students.
The United University Church, completed in 1931, is a Presbyterian and United Methodist church on the north side of campus. | PHOTO BY NOAH WEBB
Spiritual Journeys
College is a time of exploration, and USC has more chaplains and faith groups for spiritual introspection than any other U.S. university.
Widney Society members’ generosity leads to life-changing opportunities for students and faculty. | PHOTO BY STEVE COHN
Patrons of Promise
Donors see giving pay off through opportunities for students to learn from top faculty.
Start Me Up
Get some quick takes on enterprising Trojans who launched their own business ideas while still in school.
Lesley Adams Williams | PHOTO BY GUS RUELAS
Pillars of Strength
Lesley Adams Williams earns her master’s degree in the online degree program.
PHOTO BY DUSTIN SNIPES
Now and Again
Today’s reserve officers in training draw on a long legacy of service.
A Trojan defensive lineman tackles an issue close to his heart: helping people age with dignity. | ILLUSTRATION BY JACQUI OAKLEY
Improving with Age
A Trojan Football defensive lineman tackles an issue close to his heart.
At Potter’s Lane, repurposed steel shipping containers were converted to energy-efficient, sustainable housing units on a formerly vacant lot. | RENDERING BY SVA ARCHITECTS
Home Front
A USC Rossier graduate student builds a community through her housing nonprofit.
At Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab, students tackle global challenges. | ILLUSTRATION BY JOE CARDELLO
Point of Impact
Students improve lives through sustainability and profitability at the Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab.
Pillars of Strength
These are some of the new faces who will make a difference in the lives of others.
Top Trojans
The Women of Troy take top standing as the best college athletic program.
Photo by Hans Gutknecht/LA Daily News Staff Photographer
Chasing Dreams
Already a successful wealth manager, a young Trojan basketball player sets his sights on becoming a doctor.
Trojan Allyson Felix brought home the gold for Team USA. | PHOTO BY KIRBY LEE
To Be the Best
USC has produced more Olympians than any other U.S. university.
Generation Next
USC aims to make high-quality education possible and affordable for deserving students.
Generation Next
USC Admission staffers share tips to help your college application stand out — for the right reasons.
Photo by Dustin Snipes
Now and Again
Exploring the library is a Trojan rite of passage.
Now and Again
A partnership with U.S. armed forces is part of a decades-long legacy.
Brittney McClendon is just one of many first-generation students joining the Trojan Family| PHOTO BY MICHAEL OWEN BAKER
Trojan Trailblazers
USC helps students pave the way to college success.
Blind long snapper Jake Olson, right, fulfills a childhood dream to play Trojan football. | PHOTO BY PATRICK GEE
Against the Odds
A longtime USC fan and now a football player, the sophomore wins an award for his perseverance.
Scholarship Woodwind Quintet members (from left) Anna Lenhart, Sergio Coelho GCRT ’16, Stephanie Bell MM ’16, Sarah Minneman MM ’15 and Emily Schoendorf MM ’15 at Walt Disney Concert Hall. | PHOTOS BY NOÉ MONTES
Music Scene
USC Thornton gives students opportunities as precious as their dreams. (Check out our story in photos, and you’ll see what we mean.)
PHOTO BY MICHAEL BAKER
To Your Health
Be Well USC helps students balance healthy habits with their schoolwork and social life.
ILLUSTRATION BY LINCOLN AGNEW
Start Me Up
Startup-minded students explore, learn, network and, if they’re lucky, launch the Next Big Thing.
Photo by Lynn Lipinski
Against the Odds
Without schooling after the third grade, a 28-year-old sophomore comes into his own at USC.
Photo courtesy of the Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc.
Music That Moves
Evan Pensis aims to offer arts to the imprisoned.
From left: USC professors Drew Casper, Todd Boyd, John Walsh and Tatiana Akishina. (Photos by Gus Ruelas)
Class Acts
Great professors have the power to inspire, inform, enrich or incite—sometimes all at once.
Photo by Steve Cohn
Selective Set
The Class of 2019 is USC’s most select group of freshmen.
Illustration by Justin Renteria
Honor Roll
More Trojans than ever are taking their studies overseas through a prestigious grant program.
The Promise
Every year, professional athletes head back to Troy to fulfill a promise: earning their USC degree.
Photo by Allison Smith
Hark the Heraldry
USC’s residential colleges are given crests that reflect their unique qualities.
Like his siblings, Jesus Jr. mentors students going through the Neighborhood Academic Initiative. (Garcia Photo by Gus Ruelas)
The Trojan Ticket
The Neighborhood Academic Initiative brings college-prep classes to kids and teens around USC’s campuses.
Composite/Courtesy of USC Libraries, left, and Gus Ruelas
Now and Again
Students from the 1940s and 2010s meet at the same spot: USC’s iconic Trojan Shrine.
Photo by Ana Beatriz Cholo
Getting In
USC Rossier’s near-peer advising program puts first-generation high school seniors on track for college.
C. L. Max Nikias, left, John Mork, Michael Johnson and David Petraeus gather at the opening of USC's Veterans Resource Center. (Photo by Gus Ruelas)
Those Who Serve
After two tours of duty in Iraq, Michael Johnson focuses on a new mission: earning his USC degree.
Photo by Uyen Bui Photography
Those Who Serve
A Navy veteran completes his degree thanks to the support of donors who care.
Photos by Dustin Snipes
Behind the Mascot
Amy Vandenberg is student by day and Tommy Trojan at night.
Rise of Troy
New buildings and amenities will connect seamlessly with the existing University Park Campus.
C. L. Max Nikias and Niki C. Nikias. Photo by Steve Cohn
President's Page
Kathleen McCarthy’s philanthropy will touch generations of students, and represents a remarkable investment in their future success.
Longtime USC Trustee Kathleen Leavey McCarthy. Photo by Gus Ruelas
Honor Roll
A gift from the Leavey Foundation builds new home for top scholars
Illustration by Joe Ciardiello
Good Sports
Take a look at just a few of USC’s lesser-known sports and club teams.
Javorius "Buck" Allen. Photo by Gus Ruelas.
Tailback U
The stand-out tailback is racking up success on the football field—and in the classroom.
Rise of Troy
A new residential complex will reshape how generations of Trojans live and learn on campus.
Rigo Diaz at the USC Latino Alumni Association’s 40th anniversary scholarship gala in March. Photo by Ron Murray/Imageactive
Partner in Pride
Rigo Diaz dreamed of being a Trojan and made it happen. Now he gives back to support scholarships for tomorrow’s students.
“My academic coach helps me tremendously with time management, planning and goal setting,” Dani Ashijan says. Photo by Kylie Nicholson
Academic access
Trouble concentrating? ADHD, dyslexia or just disorganized? The USC Kortschak Center helps students survive college.
Photography by Dustin Snipes
Business-minded
She loves game-changing thinkers. Meet Anna, of the students from the first class of the World Bachelor in Business program.
Photography by Dustin Snipes
Business-Minded
She speaks English, Mandarin, Cantonese, some Spanish and now she’s learning American Sign Language. She’s got a head start on USC Marshall’s global business program.
Photography by Dustin Snipes
Business-Minded
He loves clean fonts and classy design. Meet one of the students from the first class of the World Bachelor in Business program.
Photo by Scot Obler
Sport Support
It’s all about building the complete student-athlete at USC.
Photo by Jim Stroup
Against the Odds
A surfing accident left PhD student Ryan Williams a quadriplegic, but his drive and USC’s distance-learning program have allowed him to pursue his academic dreams.
Photo by Meiko Takechi Arquillos
Next-Generation Trojans
Students Steven Strozza and Akilah Booty are the new face of USC.
Cyrus Hobbi feels just as at home on a stage as he does on the gridiron. Photo by Dan Avila
Role Player
USC center Cyrus Hobbi had an unusual way to work through his frustration: He wrote a play.
Photos courtesy of USC's Space Engineering Research Center
Fly to the Sky
In Los Angeles, the aerospace industry gets a boost from USC grads with hands-on experience.
Century of Service
A campus cornerstone, the Trojan Knights mark 100 years of dedication to USC tradition and school spirit.
An online anthology showcases student work from a USC comics design course. (Illustrations/Isabella Melendez and Knox Lopez)
Comic Relief
USC art students pen graphic stories during their pandemic time apart that capture adventures in ancient Rome, futuristic robots and more.
August Wilson is known for his poignant explorations of Black culture and experience. (Photo/Netflix)
Stage Crew
Check out these surprising links between the award-winning playwright and the Trojan Family.
(Illustration/Mary Kate McDevitt)
Creative Climate
See how students use poetry, viola concertos and animated whales to try to wake the world up to climate change.
In this picture taken on Dec. 17, 1941, USC students volunteered to support the war effort 10 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. (Photo/Courtesy of USC University Archives)
A Call to Duty
Nearly every corner of campus life transformed as students joined the war effort at home and abroad.
The USC Arts in Action program helps students flex their creative skills to advance inclusivity. (Illustration/Antonio Rodriguez)
Arts in Action
USC students use podcasts, performances and workshops to open public platforms for kids and adults.
(Photo/Ron Mackovich)
Proud Service
USC expands initiatives that help veterans find success in academics, social networking and career development.
NSQK, a hip-hop dance crew, is one of more than 20 student dance clubs at USC. (Courtesy of NSQK)
Finding Their Rhythm
Students find good vibes and friendships in a vibrant dance community.
Succeeding in college isn't just about grades, says Jason Tran. The career services specialist recommends business students add campus activities, internships and networking to their resume.
Here to Help
Career services specialists offer guidance and resources to business students who are the first in their family to go to college.
Emily Hsu finds that business and music are in harmony.
Doubling Up
Trojans embrace a Renaissance mindset, blending their creative and artistic passions with entrepreneurship, medicine and more.
A century of service: The Helenes have a proud history of volunteering their time for the betterment of the university and the community.
UNBROKEN BONDS
The group supports all manner of initiatives that improve life on campus and off, but its members also benefit, often establishing lifelong friendships that continue long after they have graduated.
Untitled (2021) by Listy Gao ’25 portrays her concern over the dismal state of today’s oceans: overfishing, microplastics and waste pollution. The large-scale tuna is composed of recyclable, unrecyclable, and combustible materials: paper, cardboard, and plastics. (Photo courtesy of Listy Gao)
Envisioning the Future
Students from USC Roski School of Art and Design use their creative talents to reflect on nature, how it has endured, how it struggles, and most important, how humankind has used—and misused—it.
Actress and singer Adrienne Visnic offers advice to aspiring entertainers like Ziming Jim Liu as a mentor at USC. (Photo/Gus Ruelas)
Role Model
As an aspiring actor pursues a creative career in entertainment, he can lean on the advice and guidance of a multitalented fellow Trojan.
The Cicada synthesizer vibrates in the same way that insects produce a loud and recognizable sound in the wild. (Photo/Federico Chiesa)
Ear Bug
Some people have a flair for playing instruments. Ho-Chun “Herbert” Chang PhD ’23 has a knack for inventing them.
(Photo/Ed Carreon)
Chill Out
The Trojan Family shares favorite hidden gems and secret study nooks on the University Park Campus.
USC students found friendship and community online during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo/Courtesy of USC Campus Activities)
Virtual Fun
From growing plants and crafting to meeting with book clubs and playing board games, USC students flexed their creativity while creating online communities.
(Photo / Bad Wolf Media)
Trojans Rock
USC students drum up experience in the pop and rock music world before they even graduate.
(Illustration/Chris Gash)
Mind and Body
At colleges across the country, anxiety and depression are growing. Here’s how Trojans are tackling mental health.
(Photo courtesy of Trojan Marching Band Archives)
This is Troy
Take a trip back in time with ”Hollywood’s Band,” one of the most recognizable musical forces in college athletics.
Tassel Worth The Hassle
Four years ago, Nadia Filanovsky, Lauren Gilmour, Anthony Llamas, Neysa Sanghavi, Meg Schwartz and Leily Zhu were new Trojans. Now, these members of the Class of 2022 talk about how USC lived up to their expectations.
Caffè storyboard (Illustration/Margaret Spencer)
Building Character
Some of the most compelling animated stories on screen start as scribbles in a notebook.
(Photo/ iStock)
Seeds of Change
The university adds an ombuds office, boosts compliance and makes background checks more stringent.
(Photo courtesy of USC University Archives)
Blast from the Past
USC has changed in the 50 years since man first walked on the moon. Take a look back at the student experience in the Age of Aquarius.
(Photo/Dustin Snipes; Inset photo/Courtesy of USC University Archives)
Now and Again
The rite of passage remains one of the milestones for the Trojan Family.
(Photo/Rose Eichenbaum)
In the Spotlight
USC’s dance students will leave USC with an impressive slate of performances.
(Photo / Dustin Snipes; Vintage Photo by Herman Schultheis/Herman J. Schultheis Collection/Los Angeles Public Library)
Now and Again
It’s been a hotspot for student life for more than a century. But you might not know the history behind this campus crossroads.
(Illustration/Jaclyn Pittman)
In My Lab
A USC Earth science doctoral candidate goes deep to see how oceans are reacting to climate change.
(Photo Of Caryl Smith Gilbert / John Mcgillen / USC Athletics)
Blast from the Past
News from USC a century ago shines a spotlight on the USC student experience.
USC junior Aimee Zhang (Photo courtesy of Aimee Zhang)
Play It Again
A creative junior designs games for all different platforms that are both fun and heart-wrenching.
Rendering by Frederick Fisher and Partners
Shop Talk
USC’s maker culture is thriving as working spaces for creators pop up across campus.
Students are selected to be Bennis Scholars after a rigorous application process after their sophomore year. They are offered leadership training and participate in skill-building workshops.(Photo/Gus Ruelas)
Early Lead
Meet two impressive student leaders who are ready to put their leadership skills to the test.
Aspiring Trojans
USC draws a record number of diverse applicants for the 2018 freshman class, including first generation, SCion and military family students.
Keck School of Medicine students can take free yoga classes as part of a wellness initiative at Keck Medicine. (Photo/ Eric Lindberg)
Being Well
Amid growing awareness of suicide and depression among health professionals nationwide, new wellness programs at Keck Medicine of USC ensure students and doctors care for themselves.
Society 53's newest members gather to celebrate with outgoing members who graduated in May.
Good Society
USC Alumni Association’s Student ambassadors have the opportunity to build close relationships with Trojan alumni leaders.
Winston Crisp (Photo/Gus Ruelas)
College 101
“If you’re here, it’s because you have what it takes to be here, and you have to believe that,” says USC’s student affairs chief.
USC Iovine and Young Academy students (Photo/Chris Shinn)
Think, Innovate, Repeat
USC Iovine and Young Hall brings together students pursuing a combination of design, technology and business.
In 1935, faculty and graduating students gathered at the Coliseum to celebrate commencement. (Photo/Los Angeles Times Photographic Archive, Collection 1429. Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.)
Pomp and Circumstance
As Trojan 2020 and 2021 grads get ready to walk at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, join us in our wayback machine. See how decades’ worth of Trojans celebrated at the stadium
A USC student practices mindful meditation during a spiritual retreat in 2019. (Photo/Eric Lindberg)
Inner Work
Varun Soni, dean of USC’s Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, describes how the USC community can come together and find contentment in a time of turmoil.
People with impostor syndrome struggle with self-doubt and fear that others will see them as a fraud. (Illustration/Eric Hanson)
The Impostor Inside
What do you do when your biggest doubter is yourself?
The Little Chapel of Silence at USC's University Park Campus (Photo/Dustin Snipes; Vintage Photo/Courtesy of USC University Archives)
Now and Again
In this busy world, you can find quiet moments of comfort at this timeless USC spot (yes, even remotely).
College teaching has gone online at USC and many other universities due to COVID-19. (Photo/Mary Mallaney)
Generation Next
Get the rundown on what USC’s admission team looks for in future Trojans — and how things have changed during the pandemic.
College students may be struggling during the pandemic, but experts are there to help. (Illustration/David Pohl)
Trojans Together
Broderick Leaks, a student mental health expert at USC, shares in his own words how to thrive in a time of stress and uncertainty.
Professor Jack Feinberg devised simple experiments using everyday objects, like these tuning forks, to ensure USC students could continue hands-on learning from home this semester. (Photo/Pam McKniff)
Special Delivery
Longtime educator Jack Feinberg came up with fun kits to ship to students so they could still do physics experiments at home. It’s in his nature.
Cambria Estrada (right) and Soraya Levy (second from right) co-founded Bloom Boutique. (Photo/Samantha Hardy)
Community in Action
In a time of great upheaval and need, USC students lead efforts to strengthen and support their communities.
The USC Roski Open Studios in February 2020 in Los Angeles. (Photo/Ryan Miller)
Art and the City
USC art and design students build creative ties in the midst of L.A.’s Arts District.
USC Student Health safety campaign
We Are SC
USC starts the 2020-21 school year with a renewed commitment to learning, student life and well-being as the world grapples with a pandemic.
(Illustration/Russell Shaw)
Retracing the Past
Each summer, USC archaeology students travel to Mexico and follow in the footsteps of history.
Ivan Garcia was a student at El Sereno Middle School when he joined NAI. (USC Photo/Gus Ruelas)
First Class
Ivan Garcia is among the first graduates of USC’s expanded college prep program, and now he’s a first-year Trojan. But he almost missed his chance.
(Photo/Brian van der Brug)
The Show Goes On(line)
USC graduates, friends and family celebrate at home to Fight On against the coronavirus.
(Video/Courtesy of Peter Erskine)
Great Adaptations
How do you teach drama without a stage? Jam together as a jazz band online? Dissect a frog without the frog? You get creative.
Steph Curry on and Jimmy Iovine on Zoom calls with students
Zoom In
Check out the famous faces that popped up on USC students’ phone and computer screens during the spring 2020 semester.
Becca Man swimming. (Photo/Courtesy of Becca Mann)
Channel Hopper
Student Becca Mann notches 20 hours, 53 minutes and 37 seconds of pure, glorious, record-setting pain.
Students who missed campus re-created University Park Campus for their fellow USC students in Minecraft. (Picture Courtesy of Alastair Morrison)
Wish You Were Here
See virtual versions of Tommy Trojan, Doheny Memorial Library and other USC landmarks.
New Trojans
Potential future alumni celebrate their acceptance letters on social media.
USC Dornsife student Ryan Melendez (Photo/Courtesy of Ryan Melendez)
Ride On
Ryan Melendez has raised more than $500,000 for pediatric cancer through Warrior Horses for Warrior Kids.
Both Chloe and I had autistic friends in high school, and we thought that creating a product that could interpret emotions as vibrations could really help them,” Shannon Brownlee says. (Illustration/Weitong Mai)
Feeling the Vibes
Seniors Shannon Brownlee and Chloe Duckworth’s startup uses software that can detect emotions from speech patterns and translate them into vibrations.
