I graduated in 2007 and I am now Assistant Professor in the Linguistics Department at Yale University. I came to the Linguistics Department at USC because of the outstanding faculty and the atmosphere of intellectual excitement. I had the feeling that the department and the university were rapidly growing and that I would have the opportunity to develop to my fullest potential. It was an excellent choice. I have received a broad academic education and professional training, first and foremost through my advisor, Professor Dani Byrd, but also through close collaboration with a number of other faculty in the department and through interaction with members of other departments. Both the Linguistics Department and the university made it clear from the start that in order to get a good academic position we need to excel in our work and that we need to have a resume that stands out. I got every possible help in trying to achieve this. I think I left USC as well prepared for my current position as possible, again both academically and in terms of what to expect and what to aim for in the next couple of years.