{"id":9451,"date":"2024-12-05T04:35:34","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T04:35:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/?page_id=9451"},"modified":"2024-12-05T04:35:35","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T04:35:35","slug":"undergraduate-alumni-spotlight-brian-benjamin","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/undergraduate-alumni-spotlight-brian-benjamin\/","title":{"rendered":"Undergraduate Alumni Spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n \n   \n   \n   \n   \n  \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--scrolling-text-with-image \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--scrolling-text-with-image\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"text-image-container\">\n\n          \n      <div class=\"image-container\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img decoding=\"async\"\n                            src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2023\/03\/1al-768x1024.jpeg\"\n          srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2023\/03\/1al-768x1024.jpeg 768w\"          sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 50vw, (min-width:768px) 100vw, 100vw\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n      \n    <div class=\"text-container\">\n  \n        \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Brian Benjamin\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Class of 2012, B.A. in Psychology with Minor in Business Law<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n              <div class=\"chapters-container\">\n                      <div class=\"chapter\">\n                              <h3>Where have you worked and\/or studied since you graduated from USC?<\/h3>\n              \n                                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>After graduating from USC I began my graduate education. I am currently pursuing a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, an APA\u00a0accredited\u00a0program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                          <\/div>\n                      <div class=\"chapter\">\n                              <h3>What was the most beneficial thing you did as a student at USC\u00a0to prepare you for post-graduation?<\/h3>\n              \n                                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Through the help of Dr. Jo Ann Farver and Dr. Wendy Wood, I became a proficient consumer and producer of original psychological research. I am truly glad that I was selected to complete the honors program before graduating. Not only did the honors program make me a more\u00a0competitive\u00a0applicant for graduate school applications, but it has benefited me over my current peers through its rigorous demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                          <\/div>\n                      <div class=\"chapter\">\n                              <h3>What course did you enjoy the most?<\/h3>\n              \n                                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <div class=\"title-description\">\n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n<p>Although I learned much from the many psychology courses I completed at USC, I would have to say that the class I enjoyed the most was \u201cImprovisation and Theatre Games\u201d taught by Eric Trules. Not only did this class teach me about the art form, grant me an amazing creative outlet (while introducing me to great friends in the process) but Trule\u2019s classroom philosophy of getting all of us to \u201csay yes\u201d to any situation presented via improv has become a mantra in my personal life. I believe this class made me a more confident, spontaneous and generally happier person. Although I took that class a few years ago, I still tell my friends at USC to enroll in this class with Trules before they graduate.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"f--field f--image\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                          <\/div>\n                      <div class=\"chapter\">\n                              <h3>If you were an undergraduate again, is there anything that you would do differently?<\/h3>\n              \n                                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <div class=\"title-description\">\n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n<div class=\"title-description\">\n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n<div class=\"title-description\">\n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n<p>I would take more advantage of the amazing research opportunities and various other academic resources available at USC. I feel that, sometimes, I underestimated how easy it is to become involved with the groundbreaking research that is happening on campus. This is a huge loss as these opportunities will probably never prevent themselves as clearly to us after graduating.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                          <\/div>\n                      <div class=\"chapter\">\n                              <h3>Have you won any awards, accolades, etc. after you graduated from USC?<\/h3>\n              \n                                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>I was granted the Deans Award of\u00a0Excellence for my first year at Alliant University. This financial award is given to incoming students who demonstrate academic excellence as they enter and continue their education at Alliant University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n                          <\/div>\n                  <\/div>\n          <\/div>\n\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--spacer \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--spacer\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--signup-form \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--signup-form\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"text-image-container\">\n  <div class=\"text-container\">\n\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Meet other Alumni\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p>Deep dive into other undergraduate psychology alumni stories! Take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--link\">\n\n    \n    \n  \n<a \n  class=\"link\"\n  href= https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/undergraduate-alumni-spotlight-take-a-look\/\n    aria-label=\"Read more about Back to Alumni Spotlight\"  \n>\n    Back to Alumni Spotlight \n  <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><polygon fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#000\" points=\"19.3,27.5 29.3,17.5,19.3,7.5 16.3,10.4 21.4,15.4 6.7,15.4 6.7,19.6 21.4,19.6 16.3,24.6 \"\/><\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"image-container\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2024\/11\/52892703566_5655e5b6ac_k-900x600.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2024\/11\/52892703566_5655e5b6ac_k-1200x800.jpg 1200w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/81\/2024\/11\/52892703566_5655e5b6ac_k-900x600.jpg 900w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 50vw, (min-width:768px) 100vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--spacer \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--spacer\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":9305,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-content-detail.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9451","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - 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