First-generation USC student models herself after those who helped her succeed
Saianna Smith found her calling thanks to encouragement from teachers and mentors. Now the USC master’s student is helping others follow in her footsteps.
First-generation student Anthony Llamas has come far: ‘It’s not any college; it’s USC’
Proud parents take a rare day off to share a milestone as their son moves in at college.
Air Force security forces specialist recalls her path to military social work
Aimee Bravo discusses her time in the military and her vision for curbing substance use among service members by increasing access to mental health resources on military bases.
Freshman class sets records for diversity, academic achievement
More students say “yes” than ever before; 1 in 4 have perfect grade-point averages and 17 percent are first-generation.
First-generation workshops help students settle into college life
USC is increasing resources for students in their family’s first generation to attend college, including support with academic planning and making social connections.
Maria Manjarrez brings firsthand experience to California Student Aid Commission
The USC junior wouldn’t be in college without financial aid. Now the governor has named her a post where she can help others in the same position.
Michael Felix is 95th President of the USC Alumni Association’s Board of Governors
The new leader wants to help other first-generation students find their place in the Trojan Family.
For this Los Angeles student, USC offered the path to a better life
Chemistry whiz Ryan Lopez wants to become the role model he never had growing up in South Los Angeles.
Inspiring first-generation student navigates college, keeps promise she made to her parents
Milly Rodriguez assured them she would become the first in her family to graduate from college. And she’s sticking to that vow.
Med student sets example for peers in underserved communities that they, too, can be a doctor
By going into medicine, Andrew Homere realized he could help people who thought medical school wasn’t an option.
Med student, first in his family to pursue a graduate degree, tells why he’s becoming a doctor
His interest in medicine and social justice was influenced by a lack of equitable health resources for minorities.
Annual summit builds community for first-generation students
Students and educators from across the state gather to focus on students who are the “epitome of the American dream.”
Asian-American students connect with peers at USC cultural center
Marking its 35th anniversary, Asian Pacific American Student Services supports students who may struggle with their identities.
USC resources for first-generation students help inspire budding journalist
Tomás Mier keeps busy with a double-major, Topping Scholar activities and his job as managing editor of the Daily Trojan.
Service to minorities shapes the health and aging research of a first-generation Trojan
PhD candidate Catherine Pérez researches health disparities while studying at USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.
USC 2017 | Standout USC students, and a few recent grads, who’ve done amazing things
✌ Year in review: From fighting PTSD to helping create a sustainable future, these special Trojans Fight On in everything they do.
Los Angeles teen dreams of dentistry and USC
Former TRiO student Rosalinda Larios faces intense competition, but she’s determined to beat the odds.
USC’s Edwin Saucedo named a 2019 Schwarzman Scholar, will study in Beijing
The onetime USC student body president is the third Trojan to be honored by the prestigious program and study at Tsinghua University.
McCarthy Honors College offers education, relaxation and collaboration
An aspiring pediatrician settles in among the 560 freshmen at one of USC Village’s eight new residential colleges.
Iraq veteran brings life experience, and PTSD, to USC — and fights on
Cesar Jimenez Jr. has help — from his wife, a service dog, thoughtful professors and a tutor — as he works toward a degree and a future helping others.
Onetime punk rocker uses photography to tell stories of ‘my Los Angeles’
Star Montana discovered photography during a tumultuous time. Now it’s an integral part of her life as she pursues an MFA at the USC Roski School of Art and Design.
Inspired by his grandfather, a USC student takes on the fight against Alzheimer’s
USC’s Bridging the Gaps program gives Chris Im the chance to study neuroscience and the immune system at the Keck School of Medicine.
USC’s Bovard Scholars program gives low-income high schoolers a chance at a top-tier university
Students come to campus for three weeks, then guidance counselors help them through the application and admission processes at any school, not just USC.
Once a homeless kid, then in foster care. Up next: a USC doctoral program
As a child, Mich Hamlin lived on the streets with his parents. Next month, he enters USC’s physical therapy program.