We all have somewhere we’re meant to be — at least, that’s something I believe. A week in college can feel like 12 hours or a decade, depending on how hard life hits you. I think the weeks that fly by are what makes my student experience so special.
Everything I said last year about why I chose USC still holds true. I’m making an impact on campus as an engineer and beyond. I absolutely adore the people that support me here. I’ve challenged myself to try new, hard, and adventurous things.
I try to live life to its fullest wherever I am (even if that involves walking across freeway exits in the Bay Area), and so I’d like to think I’d have a great time most places. But by virtue of USC’s location, opportunities, and the kinds of people it draws, I’ve been able to take advantage of experiences I didn’t realize I could even have.
Two of my biggest passions are food and writing, and I’ve combined these by writing about food! I love taking public transit to different cafes and restaurants and writing reviews on Yelp (where I am now an Elite!) and Beli. I know the map of LA like the back of my hand and I’ve become the designated “Where should we go to eat?” member of every group. By being so close to Koreatown and downtown, I’ve been able to explore the city in a way that feels more like living and experiencing it, rather than just simply existing here for college.
Seong-Jin Cho at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which is just a short Metro ride away from campus!
I also feel like I make an impact on campus! Whether it’s helping scores of students succeed in intro programming or running social media for the CS department, I definitely have some pretty cool stories to tell! I get spotted on campus sometimes by people that say they know me from one place or another, and sometimes it still shocks me how many people that I don’t even know have been impacted by my work. People talk about the articles I edit for Morning, Trojan all the time — what is likely the most-read platform covering breaking USC news — and they’re always shocked to hear I am one of the masterminds behind it. I’m not sure I would’ve been as involved in journalism elsewhere if it weren’t for Viterbi’s philosophy of Engineering+, but also the support of journalism faculty at the university.
Of course, this place wouldn’t be the place it is without its people. You know how they say it takes a village? It really does, and I have the most amazing support group here on campus that really stretches beyond the campus fence. When I chipped my tooth last fall, my friend’s mom (who’s a dentist) literally visually inspected the state of affairs over FaceTime. They also had me over for dinner when I was interning in the Bay Area last summer! I’ve sat in one of my professor’s office hours for a whole hour just talking in circles trying to get his thoughts on what classes I should take. (It feels like I change my mind every day during course selection period.) I run into someone I know literally every day in the most random places — like at the Target in the Village 3 minutes before closing. These are the people that shape me, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
adventures with friends 🫶
I’ve definitely felt in the last three years that USC was where I was meant to be. Onto my last year, and I can’t wait to take you all with me!
