{"id":9509,"date":"2024-12-05T06:16:24","date_gmt":"2024-12-05T06:16:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/?page_id=9509"},"modified":"2024-12-05T06:16:25","modified_gmt":"2024-12-05T06:16:25","slug":"undergraduate-alumni-spotlight-meg-palisoc","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/psyc\/undergraduate-alumni-spotlight-meg-palisoc\/","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\n
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\n Dr. Meg Palisoc\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Class of 1996, B.A. in Psychology<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n

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Where have you worked and\/or studied since you graduated from USC?<\/h3>\n \n \n
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After I graduated from USC, I went straight to a master\u2019s degree program in College Student Personnel Services at the USC Rossier School of Education. This degree is now known as the Master of Education in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs (PASA). After obtaining my master\u2019s degree, I worked for the USC Viterbi School of Engineering\u2019s student affairs division. I loved working in student affairs, but I also witnessed firsthand that there were not enough students from low income neighborhoods who were getting into prestigious universities such as USC because they did not have a strong K-12 academic background. As a result, I was inspired to become part of the solution by becoming an inner city elementary school teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District. In order to make an even greater impact on urban education, in 2004, I started a non-profit organization, Synergy Academies, that operates three free public charter schools in South LA near USC. In May 2013, I obtained my Doctor of Education degree from USC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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What was the most beneficial thing you did as a student at USC to prepare you for post-graduation?<\/h3>\n \n \n
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The most beneficial thing I did as a student at USC was to take the Art and Adventure of Leadership Class with then USC President Steven B. Sample and Distinguished Professor Warren Bennis. I used to be shy, but deep down inside, I always wanted to be a great leader someday. This class helped strengthen my self-confidence so that when I graduated, I knew that I was going to do something great with my life post-graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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What course did you enjoy the most?<\/h3>\n \n \n
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One of the most powerful classes I took was on the Holocaust. The class was memorable because we read about the everyday heroes who risked their lives to save complete strangers during the Holocaust such as the heroes in a French village as described in one of my favorite books from this class: \u201cLest Innocent Blood Be Shed: The Story of the Village of Le Chambon and How Goodness Happened There.\u201d After taking the class, I vowed to make a conscious effort to work hard on being an everyday hero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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If you were an undergraduate again, is there anything that you would do differently? <\/h3>\n \n \n
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I would have studied abroad or spent a semester in Washington, D.C. to expand my experiences outside of Los Angeles since I also grew up in LA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Have you won any awards, accolades, etc. after you graduated from USC?<\/h3>\n \n \n
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When I was getting my master\u2019s degree at USC, I was awarded the Rockwell Dennis Hunt Scholastic Award for the graduate student who best represented the university. When I was a teacher, I was awarded the Golden Apple Teaching Award from LAUSD in 2003. As an educator, I became one of the first Emerging Leaders identified in 2006-2007 by Phi Delta Kappa International, a leading international education organization. In 2008, I was awarded a Women of Distinction Award from Speaker of the California Assembly Fabian Nun\u0303ez. In 2011, I was awarded the 40 Under 40 Leadership Award from the New Leaders Council for being among the top 40 progressive leaders nationwide who are under age 40. In 2013, the elementary school that I helped start, Synergy Charter Academy, was named the Best Urban Elementary School in America and the #1 Charter Elementary School in California. I was also recognized by The Walton Family Foundation as one of four \u201cEducation Reformers to Watch,\u201d nationwide in October 2013.<\/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\n

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\n Meet other Alumni\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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Deep dive into other undergraduate psychology alumni stories! Take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n

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