Congratulations Class of 2023!

• Student Highlights

• Eliana Cotom

          Eliana is receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Education and Society. 

  There are so many things that Eliana will miss about USC, but the most significant aspect of USC that she will miss is the people. The people here have made her experience the experience of a lifetime, from friends to professors and staff, the people she has met here have made a long-lasting impact.

  During Eliana's time here, she joined USC Science Outreach, the Transfer Student Assembly, Hermanas Unidas, and USC Troy Camp. She also worked in Admissions as a Transfer Ambassador, in the Psychology Department, and Dornsife Advising.

  Eliana will be attending graduate school at USC Rossier. She will be working on getting her master's in Educational Counseling. She will also be working at Pasadena City College as a student Success coach to gain more experience in her field and career goal.

• Brooke (Jieun) Park

  

  Brooke is receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology as a Class of 2023. 

   

  Brooke’s experience at USC was GREAT. She found USC has rich resources and Trojan connections with the most remarkable and inspiring people.

  She could build her mindset and find her passion by taking these opportunities. Also, as an intern at a startup company, she learned that her most significant strength is being agile and resilient in any circumstances she meets. 

   

  She also worked as a student worker in the Psychology department, which led her to consolidate her soft skills and time management. As a graduating Trojan, she feels blessed, and her heart will not leave USC. The time she spent with Twyla,Vivian, and Samia will last forever in her college memoir. 

   

  Brooke is particularly interested in protecting IP and proprietary technology. 

  She will get a year of work experience in HR and build a career path to be a patent attorney. 

   

  P.S. A special tribute to my parents, who unconditionally poured love and support from Korea. 

  I love you so much!

   

• Meredith Goone

  Meredith is receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Dynamics in Early Childhood.

  Meredith loved her time at USC! She will miss her friends, being on campus, and Dulce blueberry matcha lattes. She is grateful for all of the memories that she made here. Meredith especially loved working with other psychology students and faculty while serving as VP and president of Psi Chi. One of her most rewarding college experiences was volunteering with JEP to give back to the greater USC community.

  After graduation, Meredith is moving to Atlanta and taking a year off from school to apply to graduate programs in occupational therapy!

   

   

• Andrew Jiang

        Andrew Jiang is a Psychology major in the Class of 2023. He is also pursuing MS in finance. 

   

  Andrew’s experience has been great. He will miss the relationships he has built inside and outside of the classroom. Also going to miss people’s excitement for football games. The loud music, the tailgates, the football jerseys— always great to be reminded of the pride we take in school’s name. 

   

  One of his highlights has been taking advantage of the progressive degree program and delving into a different field of study (finance). 

   

  This experience pushed him out of his comfort zone and given him a better understanding of the world. The professors in his graduate classes are not only some of the brightest but also most passionate teachers he have ever met.

   

  Andrew plans to do research at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases while applying to medical school. 

   

• Melanie Kwan

        Melanie Kwan is a Psychology major in the Class of 2023.

  Melanie really enjoyed her time here at USC. Having worked at research labs like the Child Interviewing Lab and the Family Studies Project has introduced her to other students that share the same passions and intellectual curiosity as she does. She will definitely miss the sense of community that she has found here. From her friends she has met to the professors in the psychology department, everyone at USC has been incredibly welcoming and supportive. 

  Melanie will continue to work in research before applying to graduate school in clinical psychology.

   

• Raina Sheldon

          Raina Sheldon is a Psychology and Environmental Studies major in the Class of 2023.

   

  She had an amazing time at USC. As a double major, she had the unique opportunity to work with people who had interests at the intersection of the two fields.

  She participated in the Psychology Honors program and  had the opportunity to work in Dr. Arvai's Judgment and Decision-Making Lab. 

   

  Dr. Arvai is the director of the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies and runs a psychology lab. Raina received Wrigley Institute Undergraduate Summer Award which funded her research. 

   

  She worked closely with a graduate student in the lab to run analyses, present data, and start writing a research paper which they are hoping to get published within the next year. One of her highlights was presenting her findings at the Wrigley Institute Advisory Board Meeting. She also had the opportunity to participate in the Undergraduate Research Symposium and was recognized with the Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy Award. 

   

  After graduation, she will miss all of the wonderful friends she made at USC.

   

• Rachel Tan

              Rachel Tan is a Psychology and Choral music major in the Class of 2023.

   

  She was awarded with the Renaissance Scholar Prize and the Discovery Scholar Distinction. As part of the Honors Psychology cohort, she completed a thesis on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the well-being of students whose classes translate poorly to an online format. She also served as a Principal Investigator on a study examining the effects of social isolation on nostalgia and music preferences. 

   

  Rachel has worked as a RA at the Brain and Music Lab, LA Children’s Hospital, and Inner Octaves, and her research has been selected for presentation at the USC Undergraduate Research Symposium, the APA National Convention, and the International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition. During her five years with the USC Chamber Singers, she has toured Ireland and performed with the Eagles, VOCES8, and the LA Chamber Orchestra. 

   

  She has also conducted the undergraduate Choral Collective, volunteered as a Thornton Ambassador, served as the USC American Choral Directors Association Student Chapter President, and worked with the Thornton Justice, DEI Committee. Outside of USC, she works as a Crisis Text Line Counselor, a college admissions mentor for underprivileged youth, and a music teacher for children with chronic illnesses.

   

  Rachel will be pursuing her Master of Science in Social Work at Columbia University. She hopes to advocate for groups whose specific challenges and needs are neglected in mental health discourse. 

   

• Matthew Torres

  Matthew Torres is a Psychology major in the Class of 2023. He is also receiving Honors with French (Major), Philosophy for Law, Politics, and Economics (Minor). 

   

  As a First-Generation college student, USC is more than he could ever have imagined. He will miss being able to spend all night studying in leavey library, going for late night food runs with friends, and just being able to participate in all the campus activities. Matthew did research with the Child Interviewing Lab at Gould Law School, and hold several executive positions in Alpha Phi Omega, which allowed him to commit 4 years. 

   

  His highlights are co-founding the first generation peer mentorship program from freshman year, being selected for a regional leadership award in Alpha Phi Omega and being one of the first chair clarinetists in the student symphony orchestra.

   

  After graduation, he will be living in Toulouse, France for a couple of months doing a French Innovation Policy Internship with the Embassy of France. 

  He will be studying for the LSAT and applying for law school after he returns. Then, he plans to work in research for the year before matriculating to law school in the fall of 2024.

   

  Matthew is  excited to continue the next chapter in my life and also excited to continue building my Trojan network. He hopes people will reach out and stay in touch so we can all succeed together. Also, he is looking for the roommates!