Trojans Spring Forward

Dear Trojans,

Looking out from the platform during USC’s 140th Commencement ceremony last week gave me a bird’s-eye view of our Trojan Family’s incredible cohesion and momentum.

A celebration of that magnitude — with 13 pre-commencement events, graduation exercises across our campuses at our 22 schools and the main ceremony at UPC, and 20,521 degrees and certificates conferred — requires teams of dedicated Trojans and hundreds of hours of work. I’d like to extend my gratitude to the students, faculty, staff, and alumni who came together to make this year’s events the remarkable success we all enjoyed.

During my commencement remarks, I encouraged our graduates to pause every time they pick up a cell phone; go to a movie; watch a debate; count medals at the Olympics, the Grammys, Emmys, or Oscars; learn about new things happening in space; read about new treatments for blindness, Alzheimer’s, or cancer; look for the sustainability symbol on a package; and so much more — and reflect upon their fellow Trojans who made it all possible.

Trojans excel in the arts, in the sciences, in technology, in athletics, in scholarship, in research — in every field of human endeavor — because we are, at our heart, a community of dreamers and bold thinkers. We’re also a community of doers — with the drive to achieve amazing things together. Most importantly, we’re active in the world with our scholarly and creative endeavors — from opening our new Capital Campus in Washington, D.C. to expanding our Street Medicine teams here in Los Angeles — providing acts of service and consequence that further our democracy and improve our communities.

As one of the world’s leading research universities, USC has the breadth, power, and the responsibility to spur new inventions and ethical innovations for the good of humanity. Reflecting upon the past semester, we’ve been fortunate to share many milestones that continue to lead us in that positive direction.

The links below touch upon the scholarship, athleticism, ethical behavior, and community spirit that fuel those collective successes — and drive future promise that benefits the world.

As we conclude this academic year and prepare for another, I hope you’ll take a moment to see exciting highlights and read incredible stories of Trojans everywhere who are making their mark. Have a wonderful summer, and I can’t wait to see you all again in the fall.

Fight On!