Then and now: How have four years changed the lives of two graduates?

In Fall 2014, two freshmen joined the Trojan Family full of anticipation and ambition. Jason Chen and Dan Brink were among the nearly 3,200 first-year students that August to move onto campus and officially embark on their college experience at USC.

With commencement on the horizon, the soon-to-be graduates reflect on their journeys and how they have grown and changed over the past four years.

Jason Chen in 2018, left, and in 2014 meeting his roommate Brandan Sakka at Birnkrant Residential College. Chen is graduating with a degree in linguistics and philosophy. Photos by Gus Ruelas.

JASON CHEN
B.A. in linguistics/philosophy

A Trustee Scholar from Shenzhen, China, Chen came to USC to study linguistics. It was a fitting choice for the young polyglot, who arrived at his new home in Birnkrant Residential College already fluent in no less than seven languages.

What’s the biggest change you’ve noticed in yourself since we met you as a freshman?

I went from wanting to study comparative literature and working as a political satirist to wanting to study mathematical logic in a Ph.D. program. Also, I learned to drive, traveled to 15 different countries and five different U.S. states, and learned Arabic, Persian and Hebrew at USC. And I gained 50 pounds.

What was a highlight of the last four years?

Two particularly memorable personal highlights were travel-related. The summer of my sophomore year, my younger brother and I traveled to Turkey by ourselves, and very coincidentally, we landed in Istanbul just the day before the 2016 coup d’état. The winter break of my junior year, my girlfriend and I planned and budgeted a trip around Europe and traveled to 11 cities across seven countries. We saw a lot of things that we had only read about in history textbooks, practiced speaking Spanish, German and Italian, and even got to see the pope up close.

What would you tell your freshman self today?

I would tell him to challenge and question all advice before accepting any, including this.

Who or what at USC has had the greatest impact on the person you are today?

[Associate Professor of Philosophy] Shieva Kleinschmidt and her class on metaphysics made me realize that I want to go to graduate school for philosophy (specializing in logic). Interaction with Professor [of Linguistics] Barry Schein made me realize how important it is to reflect on what we intend to express when we use language. In general, studying at USC’s linguistics/philosophy program taught me to constantly examine my assumptions and to live comfortably with uncertainty.

What’s next?

I have accepted University of California, Irvine’s offer to study for a Ph.D. in the Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science. That’s where I’ll be for the next five years.

Dan Brink as a freshman, left, and in 2018. The avid athlete, sports fan, curious chemist and quoter of Latin is graduating with a degree in narrative studies. Photos by David Sprague and Gus Ruelas.

DAN BRINK
B.A. in narrative studies

The multifaceted freshman came to USC with talents in chemistry, athletics and art, and a penchant for quoting Latin. From the moment of his first campus tour, Brink said he “had that feeling that I belong here.” He saw USC as the perfect place to pursue a chemistry degree while exploring his diverse interests, and he couldn’t wait to jump right in.

What’s the biggest change you’ve noticed in yourself since we met you as a freshman?

Academically, I changed my major from chemistry to narrative studies. Personally, I am more outgoing and socially confident. During freshman year, I was more introverted and was worried about going to social events either on campus or off of it. Even talking to my peers in class was not the best experience for me. However, in working through these concerns both internally and externally and just forcing myself to get out there more often, I have found myself much more confident in my day-to-day life and generally happier overall because of it.

What was a highlight of the last four years?

The highlight has really been my ability to continually play with the USC Club baseball team. This is something I set out to do even before I arrived on campus. Not only is it a great time going out to practices and winning games with the guys, but it’s also fun just to hang out on road trips and during downtime between games and drills. It’s been even better than I imagined it could’ve been, especially with my role as the team’s design chair, and I’m glad that I have stuck with it through the last four years.

What would you tell your freshman self today?

I would tell my freshman self that no matter how tough the coursework or experience of being at USC, you should just keep persevering and trying your best because eventually it’ll all work out. Also, you should try to loosen up in social situations because it wouldn’t kill you to have some fun once in a while.

Who or what at USC has had the greatest impact on the person you are today?

At USC, my closest friends from my fraternity had the greatest impact on me. I saw what it meant to be a good student while being able to take a break and really enjoy the campus and environment. Without them, I truly believe that I would not have been able to succeed in either world — academic or social — as well as I have in these most recent years.

What’s next?

I am planning on attending law school and hope to continue my graphic design and T-shirt design hobbies on the side. Although I won’t be returning to USC in the fall, I will take the lessons and experience from my time here in Los Angeles into graduate school and beyond.