USC Marshall School of Business

Areas of Interest at USC Marshall:

1. Marshall Community

2. Leadership

3. Diversity

4. Fitting in and being happy

5. Real-world preparation

What Made You Choose to Attend USC Marshall?

I chose USC Marshall because of the community I saw within the business school. Most people see business school (and college in general) as a place to beat out your classmates for the best grade. Your peers turn into your competitors, and you fight with them to get closer to the professor, to get good grades, and ultimately to get jobs. However, when I came to Marshall, I found a welcoming and collaborative environment where I could engage with my classmates and not worry about “losing.” I love feeling that there is a shared sense of community within Marshall, where I not only learn with my peers, but from them.

Advice you wish you had known while applying to college:

I wish I had known that it takes a lot of work to figure out what will make you happy and successful. When I looked at colleges, I just picked ten schools that fit my “requirements”: medium size, in a big city, had both business and communication programs. While this checklist helped me to really narrow my search, after those first initial questions, the schools started to all look the same to me and I was convinced I could be happy anywhere. It took a lot of work to really think about what I wanted in a school and if I would be happy there. I could live and study at any school—but where could I really thrive? The good news is, if you put in the hard work at the beginning and choose universities that could actually make you happy, you will get the benefit of never wanting to leave your school. I’m a Trojan for life, and I wouldn’t be happy any other way.

USC activities/general hobbies:

I’ve been a Marshall Student Ambassador for three years now. As a freshman, I was part of the Global Leadership Program in Marshall and travelled to Shanghai, China during my first year spring break. Since joining the university, I’ve been a part of the Thematic Option program as well. In addition, I’ve written for the Daily Trojan, the student newspaper on campus, and was a part of the Marshall Women’s Leadership Board freshman year. In my free time, I love to cook, travel, and read.

Why do you love Los Angeles?

I love Los Angeles because of the diversity it offers its residents—diversity in ethnicities, interests, backgrounds, careers, goals, etc. There is always something new to try because everyone keeps experimenting and exploring with what they’re not familiar with. It’s so intriguing to live in a city where everyone is different and you get to experience the joyous interaction of these differences.

Share a definitive freshman moment at USC:

At the end of the first semester of freshman year during study days before finals, the USC marching band came to relieve some test anxiety by jumping into the big fountain outside of Leavey library and playing the Fight Song while splashing around. Definitely had some school pride singing along.

Favorite USC Marshall class:

So far, my favorite USC Marshall class has been BUAD 307 Marketing Fundamentals: it’s the core marketing class that all business students have to take. This was my first real exposure to marketing, and I was thrilled when the professor took the time to explain his experience and wisdom in the field. Not only did I get to learn from a professional in the industry, but we also were able to create a marketing plan for a real tech start-up and present to both the professor and the CEO and VP of Marketing for this start-up. Every time I mention in an interview that I’ve made a marketing plan for a real company, the recruiter is always impressed.