Commencement
May 10, 2024
University of Southern California McCarthy Quad
DEAN’S WELCOME
Willow Bay, Dean, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and Walter H. Annenberg Chair in Communication
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Billie Jean King, Sports Icon and Equality Champion
PRESENTATION OF CANDIDATES AND DOCTORAL, MASTER’S AND BACHELOR’S DIPLOMAS
Willow Bay
Hector Amaya, Director, School of Communication and Professor
Gordon Stables, Director, School of Journalism and Clinical Professor
CLOSING REMARKS
Willow Bay
All graduates are invited to continue to celebrate with family, friends, faculty and staff with a reception at CAS Lawn (Leavey Library West).
Graduates can redeem one complimentary photo from the ceremony. GradImages will provide more information via email.
FLAG BEARER
Andrew Taw (BA, Communication)
BANNER BEARER
Jacqueline Cao (MA, Public Relations and Advertising)
ACADEMIC PROGRAM DIRECTORS
Robert Banks, Clinical Associate Professor & Director, Public Diplomacy Program; Daniela Baroffio, Clinical Associate Professor & Director, Digital Social Media Program; Melanie Cherry, Adjunct Instructor & Associate Director, Undergraduate Public Relations Studies; David Craig, Clinical Professor & Director, Global Media and Communication Program; Hernan Galperin, Professor & Director, Doctoral Studies; Oscar Garza, Professor of Professional Practice & Director, Specialized Journalism (Arts and Culture) Program; Rebecca Haggerty, Associate Professor of Professional Practice & Director, Undergraduate Journalism Studies; Joseph Itaya, Associate Professor of Professional Practice & Director, Digital Media Management Program; Monica Koyama, Associate Professor of Professional Practice & Co-Director, Communication Management Program; Ben Lee, Clinical Professor of Communication & Co-Director, Communication Management Program; Freddy Tran Nager, Lecturer & Associate Director, Digital Social Media Program; Courtney Pade, Clinical Associate Professor & Assistant Director, Communication Management Program; Lisa Pecot-Hébert Professor of Professional Practice & Director, Journalism (MS) Program; Jillian Pierson, Clinical Professor & Director, Undergraduate Communication Studies; Burghardt Tenderich, Professor of Professional Practice & Director, Public Relations and Advertising Program; Sandy Tolan, Professor & Director, Specialized Journalism Program
Billie Jean King
Sports Icon and Equality Champion
As a world-class athlete and a pathbreaking activist, there are few stories more powerful than Billie Jean King’s. Named one of the “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century” by Life magazine and the first female athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, King has carved an unparalleled legacy as a renowned tennis player and a pioneer for equal rights and inclusivity.
During her legendary career on the court, King captured 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles, including a record 20 Wimbledon championships, ultimately earning a spot in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER
Photo: Howard Schatz
Off the court, she helped advance the women’s rights movement. In 1972, she testified before Congress, helping pave the way for the passage of Title IX, which ensures all students in educational settings are treated equally and fairly, including in sports. King also founded the Women’s Tennis Association in 1973 and became its first president, lobbying for and achieving equal prize money for men and women at the U.S. Open that same year.
King’s campaign for pay equality gained a worldwide audience of more than 90 million when she faced off against and beat self-proclaimed male chauvinist Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” on September 20, 1973. One of the greatest moments in sports history, the groundbreaking match is remembered for its cultural and social impact.
King went on to co-found the inclusive World TeamTennis co-ed tennis league and founded the Women’s Sports Foundation, dedicated to advancing the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity. Most recently, she established the Billie Jean King Foundation, which supports the next generation of leaders through sports, education and activism.
A native of Southern California, King began playing tennis on Long Beach’s public courts at age 11 using a $8 racquet she purchased herself with money earned from odd jobs. Her SoCal roots were honored in 2019 with the naming of her hometown’s new library the Billie Jean King Main Library. She remains part of the Los Angeles sports ecosystem with ownership stakes in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Angel City FC and the Los Angeles Sparks.
Among her many achievements, King received France’s highest order of merit, the Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur, from President Macron, and was inducted into the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Hall of Fame as a special contributor. King became the first woman to have an annual global team sports event named in her honor when Fed Cup, the women’s world cup of tennis, was rebranded as the Billie Jean King Cup. The National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open, was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in honor of her accomplishments on and off the court.
King serves on the board of the Women’s Sports Foundation, is an adidas Global Ambassador and is the Honorary Lifetime President of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and a past member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. A New York Times best-selling author, King published her memoir, ALL IN: An Autobiography, in 2021.
CONTINUED COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER
Academic Honors
USC STEVEN AND KATHRYN
SAMPLE RENAISSANCE SCHOLARS
ToriAnn Chiaki Abe
Rianne Aguas
Lyme Cho
Yifan Ding
Bella Margaux Durgin-Johnson
Christina Liu
Daniel Lee Marable
Paulene Ranjo Ng Chee
Sabrina Niu
Brett Park
Hyunje Park
Taylor Perry
Stephen John Serrano
Esperanza Torres
Louis Sek Lung Wong
Sofia Piccioni
DISCOVERY SCHOLARS
Jonathan Beyer
Sabrina Niu
Hyunje Park
Louis Wong
ORDER OF TROY
Fitz Cain
Grace Harrington
Anjali Patel
Jenna Peterson
Daphne Yaman
Skyler Pak
Vivienne Yang
Joyce Gao
Academic Honors
SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AWARDS
OUTSTANDING BA IN JOURNALISM SCHOLAR AWARD (GPA)
Kaitlyn Huamani
OUTSTANDING BA IN JOURNALISM SCHOLAR AWARD (RECOGNITION)
Fitz Cain
OUTSTANDING BA IN PUBLIC RELATIONS SCHOLAR AWARD (GPA)
Emma Collins
OUTSTANDING BA IN PUBLIC RELATIONS SCHOLAR AWARD (RECOGNITION)
Joyce Gao
DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE (UNDERGRADUATE)
Adrian Finer
OUTSTANDING MS IN JOURNALISM SCHOLAR AWARD (TOP SCHOLAR)
Alexandra Goldberg
OUTSTANDING MS IN JOURNALISM SCHOLAR AWARD (RECOGNITION)
Angelina Hicks
OUTSTANDING MA IN SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM SCHOLAR AWARD (TOP SCHOLAR)
Corinne Smith
OUTSTANDING MA IN SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM SCHOLAR AWARD (RECOGNITION)
Olivia Kelleher
OUTSTANDING MA IN SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM (ARTS AND CULTURE) SCHOLAR AWARD (TOP SCHOLAR)
Ashton Benn
OUTSTANDING MA IN SPECIALIZED JOURNALISM (ARTS AND CULTURE) SCHOLAR AWARD (RECOGNITION)
Citlalli Chavez-Nava
OUTSTANDING MA IN PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING SCHOLAR AWARD (TOP SCHOLAR)
Jacqueline Cao
OUTSTANDING MA IN PUBLIC RELATIONS AND ADVERTISING AWARD (RECOGNITION)
Grayson Wolff
DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE (GRADUATE)
Daniela Rodriguez Martinez
CENTER FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS RESEARCH AWARD
Dainius Krasauskas
NORMAN CORWIN AWARD FOR SERVICE AND SCHOLARSHIP
Tess Patton
PENNY LERNOUX AWARD FOR INTERNATIONAL REPORTING AWARD
Jose Romo Gonzalez
JACK LANGGUTH FIRST AMENDMENT AWARD
Jules Feeney and Raymon Troncoso
BRYCE NELSON AWARD FOR DISTINGUISHED JOURNALISM
Jennifer Byers
CONTINUED
CONTINUED
Academic Honors
SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AWARDS
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Hanah Abualhaj
Vivienne Yang
INNOVATION AWARD
Shefali Murti
CIVIC AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AWARD
Khamani Griffin
INTELLECTUAL GENEROSITY AWARD
Andrew Taw
Sophia Loreto
DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, EQUITY AND ACCESS AWARD
Sam Lo
Mia Mendez
STUDENT TRANSFORMATION AWARD
Amelia Tuaniga
Academic Honors
COMMUNICATION DEPT.
HONORS
Hanah Abualhaj
Jonathan Beyer
Michael Chow
Dalal Daher
Kofo Jolaoso
Shefali Murti
Brian Park
Sofia Piccioni
Simi Situ
Louis Wong
JOURNALISM DEPT. HONORS
Nicole Barron
Robert Gifford
Ethan Huang
Veronique Louis-Jacques
Samuel Reno
Stephen John Serrano
Anthony Slade
PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPT. HONORS
Michael Cava
Joyce Gao
Emily Hricak
Adrian Finer
Gloria Jin
Claudia Shevitz
Anisa Rae Robinson
Grayson Wolff
Miguel Bernas
Alyssa Ngo
Mike Di
Venice Tang
Rosie Ding
Mia Qi
Rachel Young
Aadhya Sivakumar
Ruby Fuller
CONTINUED
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