It’s pretty hard to sum up a multi-faceted place like USC in one word. However, one quality about the students, curriculum, faculty, and general mission of USC does stand out: visionary. Everything and everyone at USC focuses on bringing about the brightest future possible.
Many of my fellow students aren’t just focused on getting through classes and out into life after college. Nearly everyone I know has some passion, some cause, that they call their own and devote time and energy to. For some, that’s a certain area of research. One of my fraternity brothers has been working on theory of economics applied to social interactions in college for his entire undergraduate career (he’s now a senior), and it’s awesome to see his persistence. For others, such as myself, the vision is for the future of an organization, which is why I served as president of my fraternity and then as a national representative: my vision is to see my brotherhood grow and transform members into better men. Another friend of mine is currently on a multi-leg trip to Portland, London, and China to secure funding for his vision, his very own start up business.
My point is that all these students have visions that they are working to make real right now. As undergrads. There is no waiting, no self-doubt and hesitancy. At USC, students throw themselves into challenges and embrace adversity.
A satellite that USC successfully built and launched into orbit
And these are just my friends. USC as a whole has cutting edge research designed to build the world of tomorrow. A good example of this is how Viterbi applies itself to the National Academy of Engineering’s Grand Challenges. My own research, for example, targets the challenge of securing cyber space. My friends work in labs improving robot-human interactions, using game theory to improve security checks at the Los Angeles International Airport, and building satellites that have launched into space.
https://twitter.com/DeanYortsos/status/312342613485289472
Check out the link in the above tweet for a story related to USC’s research in game theory!
In short, I believe USC is encapsulated by visionary because I feel like there’s always an atmosphere of innovation and revolution; of persistence and rising to meet a lofty standard. I have never heard the words “it isn’t possible” in the three years I’ve been here- and that, I think, embodies this university.
