Trojan Candy arrived fairly early at the Valley Hunt Club for the USC TGLA Holiday lunch meeting. The room was beautifully set up already. I immediately started taking pictures of my friends.
My husband Jim dropped me off at the California Club in downtown Los Angeles for the Town and Gown Holiday Luncheon. I was not able to drive yet since I was still recovering from my neck surgery on November 18th.
It was so nice to see all of my USC TGLA members who were attending the Town and Gown meeting.
Unbelievably, Trojan Candy posed for another picture! Laurie Molina, whose son Andrew was both a Town and Gown scholar and a TGLA scholar, smiled with me.
What a busy day of picture taking, and it was so nice to see all of my USC TGLA and Town and Gown friends!
Over 60+ USC TGLA members came to our first Zoom general meeting.
Now it was time for two of our four USC TGLA scholars to speak. Unfortunately, Anabelle Fung (7/31/2021 interview) and Dean Tal (9/3/2021 interview) were busy and could not attend our meeting today. Vice-President Scholarship Andrea Maxie introduced the scholars.
Amy Altman (7/17/2021 interview) was the first scholar to speak. Amy, who is from Pasadena, is majoring in Journalism. She told us that she has a ten hour production class every weekday. This fifty hours of weekly class time creates one hour of “T.V. News.” Amy also told us that she has produced two documentaries. Keep FIGHTING ON, Amy!
Hannah Abrahim (9/3/2021 interview) was the second scholar to speak. Hannah, who was born in West Covina, is receiving a Bachelor of Music Degree, studying Popular Music Performance with an emphasis in Voice and a minor in Music Industry. She is the Social Media manager and Music Director of USC’s premiere A' Cappella Group. Hannah told us that she just used her 21st birthday party as an opportunity to raise money for three incredible charities. They were the Saving Lives Campaign for Cuba, Backline, and South Central’s Community Coalition. We raised nearly $2,000! Keep FIGHTING ON, Hannah!
Next was our business Zoom meeting. After that was finished, our speaker was introduced by Mary Hall. Mary read the introduction that Carol Fox had written. Dr. Pedro A. Noguera is the Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean's Chair of the USC Rossier School of Education. A sociologist, Noguera’s research focuses on the ways in which schools are influenced by social and economic conditions, as well as by demographic trends in local, regional and global context.
Dean Noguera spoke first about his developing The Biotech Academy that was created [in 1992 by Bayer HealthCare] to expose disadvantaged high school students to the biotechnology industry. This Academy included students from seven high schools and five community colleges in the San Francisco Bay area. The Academy students were required to take four years of science and four years of math. The students were paid summer internships [at Bayer HealthCare, Kaiser Permanente, The Biotech Academy, Lawrence Berkeley Lab, UC Berkeley Genomics Sequencing and Stem Cell Labs, Libby Laboratories, Tethys Bioscience, and others]....they were learning by doing.
Dr. Noguera added that currently, eighty-five USC graduates are School Superintendents. With this “Power of Partnership,” USC will be able to influence schools. We need to make our leaders resourceful, strategic and visionary.
What an informative USC TGLA Zoom meeting!
Meet USC TGLA Scholar Hannah Abrahim. Hannah was born in West Covina and grew up in both Pomona and Upland in Southern California. Hannah is receiving a Bachelor of Music Degree, studying Popular Music Performance with an emphasis in Voice and a minor in Music Industry. Trojan Candy sent some interview questions to Hannah, and she chose the ones she wanted to answer.
What were some of your accomplishments before you came to USC?
Before coming to USC, I found my drive to pursue music at a prestigious summer camp called A Cappella Academy at which I was accepted and attended for three years. Through that program, I was able to work with some of the best musicians in the industry, and I got to fulfill my dream of performing on the Hollywood Bowl stage. I had a passion for music from a very young age, learning how to play six different instruments (piano, guitar, drums, bass, violin, and ukulele), record, and produce at a local studio. I competed as a finalist two years in a row in my community's talent competition- Lemon Idol. I was also involved in honor choirs throughout my region, participating in WDACDA, CCDA, and SCVA.
Additionally, I was very involved in academics and extracurriculars at my high school. I was on the Speech and Debate Team for all four years and won many awards at our tournaments, including 2nd Place Speaker. Being passionate about history, I competed in National History Day for three years and was awarded State Champion, allowing me to compete on a national level in Washington D.C. for my one-woman-play on the Kindertransport. I was also involved in many volunteer organizations, including National Honor Society, California Scholarship Federation, and Key Club. I graduated high school with honors, having a 3.85 GPA and being amongst the top 10 students in my class.
Why did you choose USC?
USC has been my dream university since my Junior year of high school. It has one of the most renowned contemporary music performance and music industry programs in the world, with Grammy-Award winning professors, an acceptance rate of nearly 3%, and an unbeatable Trojan Network. As a first-generation American who had little knowledge about and connections to the music industry, attending a college that would give me the adequate resources I needed for success as a musician was very important to me. Not only this, but USC offered a conservatory-style education with a highly academic and fun-filled 4-year university experience. Attending USC also allowed me to stay close to my family, while simultaneously studying in the heart of the city of dreams.
What organizations have you joined at USC?
I have been very involved at USC, being the Social Media Manager and Music Director of our school's premiere A Cappella Group, Reverse Osmosis. I am also a member of several music-networking and music-collaboration organizations, including The FAM, Grammy U, USC Concerts Committee, and the LFO Collective. Lastly, I am a proud Latino and Black Alumni Association Scholar.
Do you volunteer?
I certainly try to volunteer as often as I can, offering music lessons to my community and throwing benefit concerts for local mutual aid funds. Most recently, I used my 21st birthday party as an opportunity to raise money for three incredible charities- The Saving Lives Campaign for Cuba, Backline, and South Central's Community Coalition- through a one-night "music festival" I curated in my friend's backyard. We featured performances from the student community as well as vendors by local Black/Women-owned businesses. Through this event alone, we were able to raise nearly $2,000 for our charities.
Do you attend USC sporting events? Concerts? Visions & Voices events?
I frequently attend Visions & Voices events, as well as many USC Concerts including Conquest, Welcome Back, and Spring Fest! I have sung the National Anthem at several USC Baseball games, but have yet to attend a USC football game. I hope to watch the UCLA vs USC game before I graduate!
Do you like to travel? Where have you been?
I absolutely love to travel and hope to do so more once the pandemic is over! Domestically, I have visited Puerto Rico, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, The Grand Canyon, Houston, Miami, and NYC. Internationally, I have visited Niagara Falls, Mexico, Jamaica, and other Caribbean Islands. Next on my bucket list is Egypt and the Mediterranean countries!
What job do you want to do after you graduate?
The ultimate career goal for me is to become a popular singer-songwriter and recording/touring artist. At the height of my career, I would love to also be an industry executive and business owner that can give back to my community of women of color, either by founding a recording studio, songwriting camp, or music festival. As I invest in this long-term artist project, however, I hope to get a steady job after graduation as a session vocalist and a songwriter for sync and other artists.
Are you the first Trojan in your family?
I am the first Trojan in my immediate family! I am also a first generation American---my mom immigrated to California from Puerto Rico and my dad from Egypt. My cousin began attending USC online for her Master's Degree shortly before I applied.
Is there any relative attending USC now?
Nope, I am the only current Trojan in my family...for now!
FIGHT ON, Hannah!
Meet USC TGLA scholar Dean Tal. Dean was born in Los Angeles. He is majoring in Business Administration. Trojan Candy sent Dean some interview questions, and he chose the ones he wanted to answer.
What were some of your accomplishments before you came to USC?
I founded a multichannel e-commerce jewelry business and ran it at a profit for three years. It was one of the best experiences of my life (prior to coming to USC of course).
Why did you choose USC?
Once I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in business, I knew I had only one choice and that was to attend USC. Being a top business school and offering several disciplines within the major, including entrepreneurship and real estate finance, was extremely important to me. After visiting several universities, USC stood out as the one with the most positive atmosphere and strongest alumni network. Once I stepped foot on this lovely campus, I felt even more confident with my decision.
Do you attend USC sporting events? Concerts? Visions & Voices events?
Of course! As a Trojan, it’s a must. I always make sure to attend at least a few football games every year.
Do you like to travel? Where have you been?
Travelling is one of my favorite things to do as I enjoy learning about different cultures. I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited Mexico, Panama, Ecuador, Czech Republic, Greece, and Israel. I plan to explore the rest of South America and Europe in the near future.
On a more personal note:
Food:
My favorite type of cuisine is Mediterranean with Italian coming in a close second.
Hobbies:
During summer, I make sure to take advantage of our amazing weather by exploring the different hikes Los Angeles has to offer and cooling off at the beach afterward. When winter time comes, I make it a mission to go snowboarding at least once during the season.
Are you the first Trojan in your family?
Yes, and very proud to be one!
Is any relative attending USC now?
No.
Dean added this personal statement: Just wanted to thank everyone at USC TGLA for the support you’ve provided me and many other Trojans. Fight On!
FIGHT ON, Dean!
Our USC Trojan Guild member, Ann Chambers Palmer, was awarded the Widney Alumni House Volunteer Award. Because of COVID-19, this year’s presentation was virtual.
Ann was nominated for the Widney Alumni House Award by Town and Gown of USC. Ann listed two more USC organizations of which she is a proud member. They were the Trojan Affiliates and our own USC TGLA.
Here is Ann’s list of offices she has held in all three organizations.
| Organization | Office | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Trojan Affiliates | President Elect | 2020-2021 |
| President | 2021-2023 | |
| Scholarship Dinner Chair | 2018-present | |
| Fundraising Vice President | 2017-2018 | |
| Recording Secretary | 2015-2017 | |
| Trojan Guild of Los Angeles | Vice President – Programs | 2013-2014 |
| Special Events Chair | 2012-2013 | |
| Program Chair | 2017-2018 | |
| Membership Vice President | 2018-2020 | |
| Town & Gown of USC | 2nd Vice President – Scholarship | 2019-2021 |
| Nominating Committee Member | 2018-2019 | |
| Scholarship Advisor | 2021-2022 | |
| Governance Committee Member | 2021-2022 |
What an outstanding resume of organizational offices!
In her acceptance video, Ann spoke these words, “I’m Fighting On with Town and Gown of USC and 172 scholars.”
Congratulations, Ann, on being awarded your well deserved Widney Alumni House Award!
FIGHT ON, Ann!
Meet USC TGLA Scholar Annabelle Fung. Annabelle was born in Pasadena, California. She is majoring in Architecture and minoring in Consumer Behavior. Trojan Candy sent some interview questions to Annabelle, and she chose the ones she wanted to answer.
What were some of your accomplishments before you came to USC?
My biggest accomplishment prior to USC was receiving my Girl Scout Gold Award, where I developed and taught ESL classes as well as designed personalized flashcards with helpful words for nursing home residents to communicate with the nurses. I also played opposite hitter for my high school’s volleyball team (Flintridge Preparatory School) and enjoyed my time as an Editor for my high school yearbook, attending many schoolwide events and photographing.
Why did you choose USC?
I chose USC because of not only its vibrant community but also its academic rigor. USC has one of the best 5 year architecture programs in the nation and the opportunity to take many different courses outside of my major, from user experience design to data analytics. I’ve met so many people from all different walks of life and can truly say I have made lifelong friends here.
What organizations have you joined at USC? Do you volunteer?
At USC, I serve as the President of the Habitat for Humanity chapter where we volunteer at local veteran housing sites. It’s so rewarding to see what I’m learning in class be translated to real world solutions. I also was a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) chapter here at USC and served as Graphics & Media Director of Academic Culture Assembly. In that role, I designed the promotional graphics for undergraduate events. Most recently, I’ve served as a Graphic Design Intern for the USC Communications Department, designing social media campaigns and developing secondary color palettes for the University.
Do you attend USC sporting events? Concerts? Visions & Voices events?
Yes! Every fall, I look forward to attending the women’s volleyball matches, and if I can’t make it to the game, I always watch the live stream online, the perfect background for model making. I’ve also been to Springfest as well as preview screenings for new films at USC’s renowned Cinema School.
Do you like to travel? Where have you been?
I love traveling and have been to 25+ states so far; it’d be amazing to visit all 50. Internationally, I’ve visited Canada and China. And if all goes as planned, I’ll be spending my fall 2021 semester abroad in Barcelona, Spain. My first time traveling to Europe!
What job do you want to do after you graduate?
After graduation, my dream is to become a user experience designer for a company in the food industry. I firmly believe a good meal brings people together and love trying new restaurants and food in general!
A more personal question that Annabelle answered was
Are you the first Trojan in you family?
Annabelle answered, "I’m a second generation Trojan and SCion. My dad received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering here at USC."
FIGHT ON, Annabelle!
Amy Altman was chosen this summer as one of our four 2021-2022 USC TGLA Scholars. Amy was born in Pasadena. She is a Senior majoring in Journalism and minoring in Spanish. Normally, Trojan Candy would have been able to interview all of our new Scholars at our first USC TGLA general meeting in October. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, these past two years have been virtual interviews.
Here are some of Amy's interview answers to questions that Trojan Candy emailed to Amy:
What were some of your accomplishments before you came to USC?
I was the Editor-in-Chief of my high school newspaper (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy), I was on Varsity swim all four years of HS, and I was heavily involved in student government.
Why did you choose USC?
I chose USC because it had everything I wanted in a University. It has the best Journalism School in the country, a really great work hard-play hard mentality among the students, fabulous networking opportunities with alumni and the LA entertainment industry, and just an overall fun place to be for four years. I've truly met my best friends here!
What organizations have you joined at USC?
At USC, I joined the club swim team and Triathlon Club. I was the Vice President of Community Building for the USC Women's Leadership Society, I am the new co-chair of ACCSA which is the Annenberg Cross-Cultural Student Association, I was a student intern for the USC Athletics Department as a Game Management and Operations Intern, I just recently was accepted into the USC Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab Cohort, I am a multimedia journalist at the USC Annenberg Media Center, I was the executive producer for a documentary titled "Two Paths, One Direction" which brought together students from USC and an HBCU in Texas called Prairie View A & M to talk about their reactions to the pandemic, presidential election, and racial unrest.
What job do you want to do after you graduate?
After I graduate, my two best friends from USC and I want to move to NYC! I want to work in tv production either covering sports or food. But my dream is to work for the NFL network or Fox Sports, traveling from football stadium to football stadium, producing live coverage of the games. If I went the food route, I would love to produce content for a show like Chef's Table on Netflix.
On a personal note:
Do you attend USC sporting events?
Concerts? Go to Visions and Voices events? Yes, every Saturday is dedicated to USC Gamedays! I've been to several screenings in the USC Cinema School where they have the producer come in and speak after. I've also been to the spring fest concerts in McCarthy Quad.
Do you like to travel? Where have you been?
I love to travel! I've been fortunate enough to visit Ireland, Spain, England, Italy, Mexico, and Canada. Through USC, I did a summer abroad in Santander, Spain for my spanish minor. Best four weeks of my life!
Are you the first Trojan in your family?
Nope! I am a SCion! My grandparents (Martha and James Childs), aunt (Jean Palmer), uncles (Pete Palmer and Bob Childs), mom (Beth Altman), and cousins (Robby Palmer and Alex and Max Maulitz) all went to USC! Fight on!
All of our USC TGLA members are so proud of you and glad to meet you, Amy!
FIGHT ON, Amy!
Our Board had a short, concise Zoom meeting today. We reviewed our year. Here we are!
Have a great, happy 2021 summer!