Clad in gowns and mortarboards decorated with personalized messages of school pride and familial thanks, beaming Trojan graduates marched down the tunnel at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. For the soon-to-be alumni snapping smiling selfies, the grandiose atmosphere, where so many USC greats have walked before, fit the all-important day — the 2025 commencement ceremony.

On May 17, USC Marshall School of Business celebrated the Class of 2025, honoring undergraduate and graduate students together, adding to the already grand sense of occasion.

As USC Marshall Dean Geoffrey Garrett said in his opening remarks, “It is fantastic to be together as one Marshall community. And what a creative, resilient community you are. You define L.A. Strong.”

Marshall Commencement

For the second year in a row, USC Marshall celebrated its graduates in the L.A. Coliseum. This year, however, the ceremony included a guest speaker like none other: entrepreneur, philanthropist, and entertainment icon Snoop Dogg.

With an entrance fitting his persona, Snoop led the USC marching band down the aisle, conducting them with a Trojan sword as they played his hit “Who Am I (What’s My Name)?” As he passed between the two sections of students, the graduates rose to their feet, clapping, cheering, and capturing videos of this once-in-a-lifetime scene.

Once on stage, Snoop greeted the Class of 2025 in classic Snoop fashion: “Somebody say Fight On!” Graduates responded with a deafening “Fight On!”

The music legend congratulated the Trojans and spoke of the underdog story through his own experience. He asked that the Class of 2025 be true to themselves, no matter what challenges may arise.

“Keep that fire in your soul and stay true,” Snoop said. “Always be real with yourself and the world because the world don’t need no more copies, it needs originals. And trust me, ain’t nobody else that can do what you do like you do.”

Snoop punctuated his speech with one last message, “Let’s get this party started!”

The significance of the day was emphasized when Dean Garrett directed the crowd’s attention to the west end of the Coliseum. The Olympic Torch, which has honored two previous Olympic Games and will watch over another in 2028, ignited into a powerful blaze, a symbol of the bright future ahead for the Class of 2025. The crowd erupted into applause.

Marshall’s undergraduate speaker Drew Liddell, a business administration major and Trustee Scholar, attested to the competitive nature of the Class of 2025. No matter how great the challenge, Liddell urged his classmates to heed the advice of one of the speaker’s favorite professors, who is a USC legend in his own rite.

“As I continued to prepare for this speech, there was one professor’s voice in particular that repeated the same sentence over and over again: ‘You’re either competing or you’re not.’ That professor was none other than legendary football coach and lifelong Trojan, Pete Carroll,” Liddell said.

After graduation, Liddell will work as a consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in downtown Los Angeles, one of the largest firms in the world.

USC Marshall graduate speaker Jonathan Dennill echoed Liddell’s message, while emphasizing the unique community at the school and how it supported him through his career journey. After graduation, the part-time MBA (MBAPM) graduate will work as a senior consultant at Deloitte Consulting, one of the most prestigious firms in the country. As Dennill looked out over a sea of students, faculty, and loved ones, he urged fellow graduates to support one another. The journey, Dennill said, doesn’t end at commencement.

“As we leave here today, we take with us not just degrees, but a responsibility — a responsibility to lead, to innovate, and to uplift,” Dennill said. “And as we step into this next chapter, let’s remember: The Trojan network isn’t just a saying — it’s a lifelong promise.”

Leventhal Commencement

On May 16, the Leventhal School of Accounting at USC Marshall honored its graduates in a joint ceremony at McCarthy Quad on campus. In addition to a celebration of the students’ milestone, the event marked the first USC commencement for new Leventhal Dean, Andy Call

Call reflected on his first year at the accounting school, while instilling students with pride in their tremendous accomplishment: graduating from one of the most well-respected accounting schools in the country.

“USC offers an incredibly rewarding and challenging academic experience, and the Leventhal School is one of the most competitive schools on campus,” Call said. “Successfully graduating from Leventhal is an impressive accomplishment that requires a great deal of fortitude and dedication. Each of you has risen to the challenge, and we are proud to welcome you to the wonderful group of Leventhal alumni.”

USC Leventhal’s commencement speaker was Michael Karlin ’76, MBT ’09, a founding partner of NKSFB, one of the largest business management firms in the nation, where he advises high-profile clients in entertainment, sports, real estate, and business. A Marshall and Leventhal graduate himself, Karlin emphasized the versatility of an accounting degree across fields and sectors and implored graduates to give back to the school and community that gas given so much to them.

As you embark on your professional journey, remember that as you achieve successes, it’s your duty to give back to the soruces that contributed towards your success,” Karlin said.

Leventhal’s undergraduate speaker was Sophie Park, a Roger J. Coury Applied Leadership Program leader, member of the Dean’s List, and a recipient of the Warren Bennis scholarship. Park also won the Order of the Laurel and the Palm, the highest honor given to graduating students, recognizing those who most display leadership and service that makes a lasting impact on the USC community and/or the world at large.

In her speech, Park reflected on journey from her first year to the commencement stage, sprinkling in a little accounting humor, too.

“The familiar faces we once passed in the hallways have become our trusted peers, lifelong friends, and now an enduring part of the Trojan family. Fortunately, each of your profound impacts doesn’t depreciate or require amortization — instead, they only appreciate in value,” Park said. “Thanks to everyone here today, our books are balanced and our future is bright.”

USC Leventhal’s graduate student speaker was Sydney Kim, who received her Master of Accounting and plans to work at EY after graduation. This is Kim’s second degree from USC, as she previously earned an undergraduate degree in economics. The graduate reflected on what it means to be a Trojan.

“Being a Trojan is a bond that cannot be broken, a legacy we carry in our hearts. It means walking into a room and knowing that someone has our back, and an exchange of ‘fight ons’ brightens up our day,” Kim said. “The Trojan Family extends far beyond the gates of this campus.

As all speakers across both ceremonies closed their remarks, they offered the graduates and the Trojan community one last enduring message: “Fight On!”