Our Trojan Guild joined Town and Gown in hosting a "USC Alumni Day of SCervice" project at Town and Gown. The project was to create murano glass beaded necklaces for patients at USC Keck and Norris Hospitals.
Town and Gown President Pat Whitman joined all of our TGLA volunteers in this picture taken by friend and Town and Gown member Eiko Bates. Seated were Judy Lieb, Lois Booth, Barbara Hance, Terri Boyle, Carol Thueson and Carol Fox. Standing were Candy Yee, Cheryl Schwartz, D'Arcy McLeod, Sharon Schmidt, President Jean Getchell, Pat Whitman, Mary Hall, Cathy Beyer, Sandy Johnston and Judith Harris.
Our TGLA volunteers continued working.
Sharon Schmidt, Terri Boyle and Town and Gown member Kathy Duffy posed for Trojan Candy's last picture.
What a busy, productive day!
My husband Jim and I were invited to a lunch for USC Presidential and Provost Associates at the venerable Riviera Country Club.
I finally gathered more TGLA members at the fireplace for a group picture. Jim took the next picture for me. Thank goodness he took the picture quickly; it was getting a little toasty since we were standing very close to the fireplace.
The lunch was delicious, especially the dessert. Chocolate lava cake.
Provost and Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs Michael Quick was our speaker. He related many positive facts about our beloved USC.
TGLA members are everywhere!
The Davidson Center was bustling, as usual, before our February TGLA meeting.
Now it was time for the program to start. Carol Fox introduced our panel of speakers from the USC Neighborhood Academic Initiative (NAI). Kim Thomas-Barrios, Sergio Lopez, Nathalye Lopez, Ivonne Rodriguez and Dr. Lizette Zarate.
Kim Thomas-Barrios grew up in the USC neighborhood, is a NAI graduate, is the proud parent of three NAI graduates and has earned a degree from USC. She is the Associate Senior Vice President of USC Educational Partnerships.
Sergio Lopez joined NAI in the 7th grade and still mentors current students. He is a student at USC now and was profiled in a video that was shown in Washington D.C.
Nathalye Lopez, an NAI Alumna in 2014, is a Senior at USC now majoring in Latin American Studies and Human Biology. She has just earned the Gates Millennial Scholarship that will fund her education for ten years so that she can earn an advanced degree.
Ivonne Rodriguez, an NAI Project Specialist, attended 32nd Street School, is a parent of an NAI student and works in the Family Development Institute in East Los Angeles. She emphasized that students do better when their parents are involved.
The last speaker, NAI Director Dr. Lizette Zarate, described the NAI program. She said that they hold the kids to a higher standard. Three hundred twenty students applied for one hundred twenty spots. Parents must attend the Saturday classes with their children. NAI students who are accepted into USC have a 92% graduation rate.
What a busy TGLA meeting.
In the Galen Center Founder's Room, Trojan Candy listened to the Coach's Chalk Talk prior to the USC Men's basketball game with Stanford. As my sister Patti Poon and I walked out of the Founder's Room, I saw a lady in a motorized wheelchair. Patti and I were going to enter the door into the Galen Center arena when my brother-in-law Dudley Poon told us that the lady in the wheel chair is a TGLA member. As Trojan Candy looked again, I realized that Dudley was right. We walked closer and saw our friend Mary Anne Cogbill! She had a big smile on her face when she saw us coming toward her.
Mary Anne looks great! She is able to gesture with her left hand and arm and can maneuver her motorized wheel chair with her left hand.
Mary Anne's husband Brian took a picture of Patti, Dudley, and me with Mary Anne. I went into the arena to get my camera and took a picture of Patti, Mary Anne and Brian.
Keep FIGHTING ON, Mary Anne!