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MBA Program Propels Alum to Olympic Dream

MBA Program Propels Alum to Olympic Dream

Julia Durham MBA ’22 credits Marshall’s MBA program for launching her toward the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

by: Alexander Bernard
01.07.25
Julia Durham headshot

Julia Durham ’22 is achieving her Olympic dream.

[Photo courtesy of Durham]

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“I’m fully confident that if I hadn’t moved to LA and gone to Marshall, that I would not have been in the position to get the job that I have,” said Julia Durham MBA ’22, a graduate of the USC Marshall School of Business Full-Time MBA program (FTMBA).

Two years after earning her MBA degree from Marshall, Durham is now the government relations senior associate for the LA28 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, a job that combines her expertise in international relations, her passion for athletics, and the business acumen she acquired in the program.

Looking back, Durham is reflecting on the value of her Marshall education. She was floored by the school’s comprehensive education model, which provided her opportunities to learn fundamental business skills while expanding on her more specific passions, such as international relations and sports. She was also struck by the diversity of her classmates, offering a wide variety of backgrounds and perspectives that enriched the learning experience.

Durham’s journey to Marshall was anything but a straight line. After receiving an undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia in International Relations & Human Rights, she worked in non-profits and human rights organizations. During this time, Durham fondly recalled growing up in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics and hoped one day she could leverage her international experience to work for LA28 — the next Games to be hosted in the United States.

Durham searched for an MBA program to bolster her experience. She discovered USC Marshall and the Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab, the school’s hub dedicated to offering students concrete skills in social impact and business through mentorship and networking. Durham was sold.

“I only applied to Marshall,” Durham said.

As she enrolled in Marshall, one feature stood out above of the rest: location, location, location.

“I knew that the Games were coming to LA in 2028,” Durham said “I figured if [the Olympics was] where I wanted to be, USC was the place that was going to get me there.”

Inside the classroom, Durham strengthened her business knowledge and deepened her connection to sports. In no time, she was able to find courses that suited her interests, including MOR 579: The Business of Sport with David Carter, adjunct professor of management and organization.

“While the FTMBA program certainly offers a compelling curriculum, it requires the right student to unlock its true value. And Julia did just that by combining her previous work experience with the commitment necessary to succeed at Marshall,” Carter said. “It comes as little surprise that Julia continues to impress while materially contributing to Los Angeles’ hosting of the 2028 Olympics.”

I figured if [the Olympics was] where I wanted to be, USC was the place that was going to get me there.

— Julia Durham MBA ’28

Government Relations Senior Associate, LA28

Outside of the classroom, the school connected Durham with alumni and resources that brought her closer to the Olympic dream.

“The MBA is so hands-on building networks, building relationships, and being strategic and professional about it,” Durham said. “The networking alone at USC, it’s such a powerhouse — just to actually build authentic relationships and help everyone get the job done is the unspoken work of the MBA program and the opportunities there that aren’t a class.”

Durham’s choice of school paid off. Near the end of graduation, LA28 offered Durham a position as an external affairs associate, from which she was eventually promoted to her current position. Her role requires her to collaborate with local, state, federal, and international governments to coordinate events, security, and marketing for the Games. Everyday at LA28, Durham says she’s using the lessons and knowledge gleaned in the MBA program, be it stakeholder satisfaction, project management, or global government relations.

“The job was the full picture of everything that I did before the MBA and then the separate skills that I learned in the MBA. I use it every day,” Durham said.

For Durham, it’s a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a major impact on a global scale.

“My first career path was human rights, and the LA28 Games will be the world’s largest peace gathering of all time,” Durham observed. “I genuinely believe in the power of the Games to bridge and build communities through sport. I believe in the power of sport to get past a lot of the division, not only in our country, but the world.”

As Durham ramps up for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in two years, she can’t imagine being anywhere else but the city she now calls home.

“I genuinely don’t know what life would be like if I moved to Los Angeles without USC,” Durham said. “I had a built-in network. I have made lifelong friends now. Some of those friends are now colleagues. You don’t know what you don’t know.”

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