Meet the Staff

Octavio Avila

Career Pathways Director | oavila@usc.edu

Octavio Avila is a career educator and higher education professional at the University of Southern California who helps people explore purpose, identify a career aim, and act towards goal-achievement.  Octavio received his undergraduate degree from UC Berkeley and Master’s in Education degree from USC. Octavio uses his professional training and knowledge of psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and human performance to elicit potential.  

Octavio has supported numerous students and alumni achieve educational and career goals in his 25 years of experience and helped found USC Dornsife Career Pathways in 2016 to provide career services and resources to students and alumni. 

Octavio resides in Los Angeles, CA with his family.  He is a musician and endurance athlete.  His personal leadership philosophy is: Be one with yourself. Nourish yourself with good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. And in the process, you may help nourish others. 

Caroline Fraissinet, Ed.D

Director of Internship Programs | fraissin@usc.edu

Dr. Caroline Fraissinet has over 10 years of experience in education, 5 of which have been right here at USC. She is passionate about internships, and in connecting employers and students together so that they can learn and grow together. She earned her Ed.D in Organizational Change and Leadership from USC Rossier, and her dissertation centered on the challenges low-income college students face in gaining entertainment industry experience due to the prevalence of unpaid internships. Prior to working in higher education, Caroline worked in the entertainment industry as a VFX Coordinator and Producer, working with clients including Disney, ABC, FOX, Blumhouse, and History Channel. Outside of work, Caroline loves to watch movies and TV, read, volunteer with animal rescues, crochet, and hang out with her husband and two cats, Tintin and Cheddar.

Laury Wedin

Alumni Mentorship Program Coordinator | lwedin@usc.edu

Laury Wedin has worked at USC for the past 7.5 years at Keck, USC Student Affairs, and the USC School of Pharmacy. Laury holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from USC Marshall and will earn an MS in Marketing from USC Marshall in May 2022. Laury's hometown is Sacramento, but after graduating from USC, became a So Cal girl and currently reside in Long Beach. Her interests include hanging out at the beach, bike riding, shopping, Words with Friends (I'm unbeatable), and hanging out with her three kids, all Trojans. Laury's favorite books are Dean Koontz novels and puzzle books. Her favorite movies are Moonstruck and anything her kids are watching. Did we mention she love hanging out with them?

Kristine Anassian

Career Advisor  | anassian@usc.edu

Kristine Anassian has been working in student services since 2013. Kristine aims to bridge the accessibility gap for students by serving as a resource for them to meet their best potential. As a recent graduate from USC Rossier’s Master of Educational Counseling program, she has developed a unique approach to advising students by blending counseling tactics with career preparation tools. Kristine has experience working with students of various identities and backgrounds, in both the private and public education sector. Previously a Graduate Assistant with Dornsife Career Pathways, she is excited to return and serve our students again!

John Foulger

Career Advisor  | foulger@usc.edu

John has been working in Education since 2017. He has worked as an athletics academic mentor, career counselor, academic retention counselor, and is now back in career advisement. John's goal is to take the things that are being taught in the classroom and translate them into practical knowledge and experiences. "The purpose of college is to teach us skills that will allow us to seamlessly integrate into the job market, I want to help be the bridge between the classroom and the career field". John received his undergraduate degree in Psychology (with a minor in Chemistry) and his Master's of Education in School Counseling, both from Utah State University. Outside of work John enjoys all things nerdy.

Jennifer O'Connor

Senior Pre-Law and Pre-Grad Advisor | jloconno@usc.edu

Jen recently joined the Career Pathways team as the Senior Career Advisor for Pre-Law and Graduate School Advising.  She loves helping students and alumni communicate their unique qualifications in an authentic way to the outside world through applications and interviews.  She is a passionate first generation student advocate and loves working across campus to build seamless learning environments that support students holistically.  Previous to Career Pathways, she served as Associate Director for Career Engagement at the USC Career Center.

Aeverie Polintan

Aeverie is a current 2L Honors Scholar at USC Gould, and is an aspiring litigator. She attended Northeastern University and graduated with a BS in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics. Aeverie is thrilled to join the Career Pathways team as a pre-law advisor, and is looking forward to leveraging her personal experience to help other students navigate the law school admissions process.

Briana Niu

Briana is a current 2L student at USC Gould with an interest in patent law. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a BS in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research and a minor in History. Prior to attending law school, Briana worked in IT consulting. Briana is excited to join the Career Pathways team as a pre-law advisor and looks forward to helping students figure out how to navigate their own unique paths to law school.