At new student convocation, Trojans hear inspiring words and stories of friendship and success

Stories of impactful Trojan collaborations and success captivated a crowd of more than 13,000 people at USC’s fall convocation — the official academic welcome for new students.

On Thursday morning, academic leaders and the deans of USC’s 23 schools joined USC Interim President Beong-Soo Kim at Alumni Memorial Park on USC’s University Park Campus for the event.

“When you join USC, you’re not just joining a university with amazing professors, an unparalleled breadth of courses and a football team that’s going to crush it this year,” Kim said during his welcome remarks. “You’re also joining a community steeped in history, impact and traditions — traditions like the convocation bringing us together today.”

He reminded the new students that they are now part of a Trojan Family that is more than 500,000 people strong: “Whatever you end up doing in your lives, you are — starting today — Trojans for life.”

Kim then shared the powerful story of two then-new students who attended their own USC convocations in years past: film director Ryan Coogler (Sinners, Black Panther, Fruitvale Station) and two-time Oscar-winning composer Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever).

The two alums, who have formed one of the most prolific creative partnerships in Hollywood, met on campus early on in their academic careers during a game of pool. Coogler — attending the USC School of Cinematic Arts — grew up in the Bay Area, while Göransson — a USC Thornton School of Music student — came from Sweden.

“Pretty soon, you couldn’t separate them,” Kim said. “The roommate-matching algorithm wouldn’t in a hundred years have paired these two together. But guess what? They became roommates.”

It’s a reminder, Kim said, that “each of you will encounter people here at USC who will change your lives in ways you can’t imagine.

“Maybe you’ll change your mind about something, or maybe you’ll change someone else’s,” Kim said. “Maybe you’ll learn something you didn’t know about the world, or maybe you’ll learn something you didn’t know about yourself. Maybe you’ll end up making a blockbuster movie together, or maybe you’ll make something just as valuable: a lifelong friend.

“Just like Ryan and Ludwig before you, each of you will find your own music here at USC,” Kim said. “But you won’t find it alone. You’ll find it by engaging, listening and interweaving your great ideas with other ideas that are even better. It’s that spirit of collaboration and caring for one another that makes USC and our Trojan Family so strong and so special.”

Wise words from student leaders and faculty

During his invocation, USC Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni encouraged students to fully embrace the things that they can control — such as their beliefs and what they study — but also how much joy they cultivate, how grateful they are and how much light they bring.

“Here at USC, you’ll soon discover that while you can’t control everything, the things that you can control are powerful beyond measure,” he said.

In their respective remarks, Undergraduate Student Government President Mikaela Bautista and Graduate Student Government President Janielle Cuala both used their experiences at USC to offer advice to the new Trojans.

“I’m excited for you to experience the full power of the Trojan Family as I have — the mentors who guide you, the friends who inspire you and the network that will open doors you never thought possible,” said Bautista, a senior at the USC Marshall School of Business.

Cuala, a doctoral student at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, urged the incoming students to “be kind to yourself.”

“You’re here to learn, to make mistakes and to grow, not to be perfect,” she said. “Take care of yourself: When you feel well, you do well.”

The faculty speaker, Distinguished Professor Maja Matarić of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, wished the new Trojans a “journey full of opportunity, connection and growth.”

“What you do will only be meaningful if you choose it intentionally, with agency, so you can commit and care, which will give you a sense of purpose,” said Matarić, the founding director of the USC Robotics and Autonomous Systems Center and co-director of the USC Robotics Research Lab. “That’s the secret recipe.”

‘You’re the class that writes what’s next’

USC Marshall alumnus Bobby Pinckney captured the imaginations of many in the crowd with his provocative speech. He launched into his remarks by saying there is no doubt “you’re getting whiplash from the mixed messages” out in the world right now.

“One day you read that a degree is essential, the next that it’s worthless — that you should learn to code,” Pinckney said. “That AI makes coding obsolete. That your voice matters. That democracy is broken. That you can save the planet. That climate change is already irreversible.”

His take: “Nobody actually knows. Nobel Prize winners are Googling ChatGPT tutorials. Your parents are asking you how TikTok works. And the CEOs everyone admires are in emergency meetings trying to figure out what’s next.”

Pinckney graduated in 2020 and soon was on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List. He is co-founder of the music discovery app Discz with fellow USC alum Michelle Yin. More than 20 million people have used his products since he graduated.

“That uncertainty you feel? It’s real,” he said. “But it’s also your edge. You don’t need to see the whole path. Just trust yourself to take the next step. … You’re the class that writes what’s next.”

Pinckney shared that his success and his years as a Trojan have taught him to “keep going” even when nothing made sense.

“The real USC lesson is when the front door is locked, you don’t wait for the key,” he said. “You build a new door. And trust yourself to know which one to build.”

Students and parents inspired by occasion

Although they have yet to attend their first class, the new Trojans said they enjoyed wearing academic robes, being part of the procession into Alumni Memorial Park, and being launched into Trojan life with words of encouragement and inspiration.

“It was a good experience for everyone to kind of just sit together and listen to these amazing people talk,” said USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences student Alejandro DeLeon, from Carpenteria in Santa Barbara County. “It gives me that sense of pride that I’m a part of this family, and I’m super excited for the next four years.”

USC Dornsife freshman Allison Buck moved to campus from Chicago this week and said Pinckney’s remarks struck a chord.

“He made me feel very inspired,” Buck said. “I think the most valuable thing we’re going to get out of this is learning how to do things for ourselves, finding our own paths, instead of sticking to something that we always knew.”

USC Marshall student Elijah Furar, from Laguna Beach, said he was also moved by Pinckney’s words.

“He said to just push the boundaries of what’s possible and to follow your heart and what interests you,” Furar said. “I’m a business major but I’m also a songwriter and I want to be in the music industry. I want to meet different groups of people.”

Furar’s father said he was glad his son and the rest of the students could hear stories of success and inspiring words.

“It’s a great way to kick off their journey,” said Ian Furar, a 1996 alumnus of the USC Price School of Public Policy. “There is an abundance of opportunity, and you have to get involved. If you do, you’ll probably be rewarded.”