Aaron Harris
arharris@usc.edu

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Minor: Computer Science

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Irvine, CA

High School: Northwood High School

Student Involvement: Merit Research Program with USC Information Sciences Institute, Association of Computing Machinery (Corporate Affairs Committee), American Society of Mechanical Engineers, National Organization of Business and Engineering, SCOutfitters Guide

Hobbies/Interests: Mountain biking, Geocaching, computer tinkering, kayaking, adventuring, renewable energy, mobile application technologies, and robotics

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• My favorite memories from freshman year come from my experiences in the Emerging Leaders Program retreat and Adventure LEAD. These off-campus experiences allowed me to connect with Trojans outside of the classroom and forge new friendships, while also offering a glimpse of the natural beauty surrounding USC.

Advice for freshmen:

• Keep an open mind and a passion for adventure. You never know where your curiosity might take you!

Ben Kwan

benjamfk@usc.edu

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Minor: Business Administration

Year: Junior

Hometown: Irvine, CA

High School: University High School

Student Involvement: USC Christian Students, Undergraduate Research, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, USC Viterbi Funding Board, Thematic Option

Hobbies/Interests: All sports, the beach, snowboarding, movie-making, traveling, eating, cooking (I try), piano, guitar, reading, sleeping, mechatronics

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Finding alternatives to EVK all around LA.
• Forgetting the same person’s name multiple times.
• French Toast at EVK.

Advice for freshmen:

• Find a friend with the Trojan meal plan.
• Remember that there are plenty of people around you going through the same things that you are.
• Just do it (for most things).

Blake Ives

Major: Astronautical Engineering

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Kansas City, MO

High School: Pembroke Hill

Student Involvement: Greek Life, Rocket Propulsion Lab, IM teams

Hobbies/Interests: Tennis, space, puns

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Going to the Price is Right with fraternity brothers and one being called up and winning a “Brand new car!”
• Going to LA Live with hall-mates.
• Creating the most ridiculous Rube Goldberg machine for Freshmen Academy.
• Pledging. 

 

Advice for freshmen:

• Go to tailgates and football games.
• Talk to people, most of us don’t bite and are willing to make another friend.
• Leave your door open if you are home, it makes you seem friendly.
• Check out Greek life and other organizations you weren’t considering in college, you may just like it.
• Focus on schoolwork, but don’t worry about schoolwork.

Brenton Caldwell
bcaldwel@usc.edu

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Year: Junior

Hometown: Grafton, MA

High School: Grafton High School

Student Involvement: Viterbi Admissions and Student Affairs Intern, Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering, Phi Delta Theta Fraternity – Vice President (2011 Scholarship Chair), Undergraduate Student Government: Campus Affairs Committee, Order of Omega, Explore USC Viterbi School of Engineering Host, Greek Life: Campus Crusades for Christ member, W.V.T Rusch Honors Program

Hobbies/Interests:  Soccer, discovering new music, learning new languages, watching movies, eating new foods, traveling, working out, music festivals, time with friends

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Going to my friend’s house in Santa Barbara for Thanksgiving on the beach.
• Floating in the Leavey Fountain on a smiley face inner tube.
• My friends from Massachusetts visiting me on Spring break and going to Santa Monica (Venice Beach and the Pier), Hollywood for Pinks hotdogs, being audience members of the Dr. Phil show and having dinner in Malibu.
• Santa Monica beach trips, especially in January.
• Game Days!

Advice for freshmen:

• Go to networking events, look for research positions, and talk to older students. Being able to put more concrete examples of what you will be doing with your engineering degree will help you to see the importance and meaning in your studies.
• Get involved, it is an easy way to make new friends, break out of your shell and meet older students.
• Don’t be afraid to talk to your professors and teaching assistants. They are there to help you.
• “The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” – Tomas S. Monson

Christina Hupka

hupka@usc.edu

Major: Industrial and Systems Engineering

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Boulder, CO and Hong Kong, China

High School: Alexander Dawson High School

Student Involvement: North Area Government, Chinese American Student Association

Hobbies/Interests: Snowboarding, volleyball, cooking, dancing, hiking, singing, movie-watching, eating

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Trojan football.
• Floor dinners.
• USC athletic events.
• Late-night Tro-Gro runs.
• Santa Monica day trips.

Advice for freshmen:

• Work hard, but play hard too!

Christina Kozlowski

Major: Industrial and Systems Engineering

Year: Senior

Hometown: Austin, TX

High School: Westlake High School

Student Involvement: Alpha Delta Pi sorority, Bel Air Presbyterian-Quest, Adventures Ahead tutor, Friends & Neighbors Day, Gamma Sigma Alpha executive officer, JEP, studied abroad in Australia

Hobbies/Interests: Baking, art, reading, hanging out with friends, volunteering, travel, film editing, singing, dancing, acting, arts and crafts

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Living in Birnkrant and hanging out in the 7th floor fish bowl!
• Being hard core for USC football games.
• Taking a random tap class and laughing with my friends nearly the entire time.

Advice for freshmen:

• Get to know the people that live around you - they may become your best friends!
• Don't get too stressed out. Remember to have fun, and take a study break if things stop making sense.
• Push yourself to be really outgoing the first month of college - it's the easiest and best time to make friends!
• Go to football games even if you don't like football. They are a lot of fun and it's not just about the game.

Christina Milanes
memilane@usc.edu

Major: Electrical Engineering

Minor: 3D Animation

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Roseville, CA

High School: St. Francis High School

Student Involvement: USC Chamber Ballet Company, USC Troy Philippines, Secretary of USC HALO (Helping Art Liberate Orphans), USC Society of Women Engineers, USC IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), Viterbi E-Week (Engineering Week) Planning Committee, Merit Research (Biomedical Circuits and Systems Project), Trojan Scholars Society

Hobbies/Interests: Anything (and everything) Disney-related, dance, musical theater, and traveling

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Multiple trips to Disneyland with friends.
• Spontaneous dinner outings to Little Tokyo to satisfy ramen cravings.
• Having Korean BBQ for the first time with my floor mates.
• Performing at Bovard Auditorium for the first time with both the Chamber Ballet Company and with Troy Philippines’ Cultural Dance Troupe.
• Experiencing (and dancing in) my first Pilipino American Cultural Night (PACN).

Advice for freshmen:

• Get involved! It’s a great way to meet new people with the same interests as you (and to continue doing the things you loved to do in high school)!
• Study and work hard, but don’t forget to HAVE FUN and explore LA!
• Ask for help when you need it! Classes can be a lot tougher than you’re used to, but keep in mind that everyone’s in the same boat and that there are lots of resources available to help you succeed. 

Diya Dwarakanath
dwarakan@usc.edu

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Year: Senior

Hometown: Portland, OR

High School: Westview High School

Student Involvement: Merit Research, BMEStart Innovation Competition, as a sophomore was VP of Community Affairs in SWE (Society of Women Engineers), ASBME (Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering), USG (Undergraduate Student Government), Thematic Option, Trojan Scholars Society

Hobbies/Interests: Indian classical dance (Bharata Natyam to be exact), dance in general, creative writing, exploring LA, learning to be a good celebrity stalker, drumming (earplugs anyone?), Ground Zero milkshakes, walking as efficiently as possible across campus like a true engineer, having fun

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Welcome Week– the pool party, hiking to the Hollywood sign, seeing the Getty Villa Museum, etc.
• Introducing myself to strangers and eating with them in the dining hall and knowing it’s not weird because we all want to make friends.
• Riding in a brand-new Chevy Camaro sports car in downtown LA for free courtesy of USG during study days.
• Walking down McCarthy Quad in flip-flops on a warm, cloudless day in the middle of January (remember – I’m from the rainy Pacific northwest).

Advice for freshmen:

• Firstly, have fun and be yourself! Trust me, the homework will always be there but the memories you make and the things you try outside your comfort zone are what you will remember.
• Go to football games and buy a season ticket! The experience is incredible, and this is coming from someone who barely knew what a first down was before coming to USC.
• Figure out what kind of study habits work well for you specifically. And go to TA office hours early and often!
• Make friends outside Viterbi. Most of my non-Viterbi friends are those I made as a freshman and we still hang out.

Drew Nollsch
nollsch@usc.edu

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Year: Senior

Hometown: Walnut Creek, CA

High School: Northgate High School

Student Involvement: KSCR intern, Phi Delta Theta fraternity, Trojan Scholars Society, Viterbi Summer Abroad - London, CED, Merit Research

Hobbies/Interests: Listening to music, playing blues harmonica, homebrewing, watching standup comedy, cooking

Favorite memory from freshman year:

• One night, our whole floor in Birnkrant decided we would create our own USC scavenger hunt. We made up some challenges, divided into teams, and sped off onto campus clutching our lists and cameras. It was a great way to build friendships amongst the people living on our floor and was a nice study break as well! To this day, I remain great friends with many people that I lived with in Birnkrant, partly because of events like our spontaneous scavenger hunt.

Advice for freshmen:

• Make sure to print out all your class syllabi at the beginning of the semester. At the start of freshman year, I didn’t realize that all my assignments would be posted in the syllabus on Blackboard rather than announced in class, so I fell behind on reading for my General Education classes. Once I realized that I should print out my syllabi and utilize the Blackboard system to keep up with my classes, it became much easier to succeed academically.

Emily Sylvester
egsylves@usc.edu

Major: Aerospace Engineering

Year: Senior

Hometown: Seattle, WA

High School: University Prep

Student Involvement: USC AeroDesign Team, Women’s Ultimate Frisbee, Society of Women Engineers, Viterbi Summer Abroad participant

Hobbies/Interests: Playing Ultimate! Lately, I’ve been very excited about building RC planes with the AeroDesign team for the national competition. Also, I enjoy traveling, photography, and I’m really excited to be interning with Boeing this summer!

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• I remember the first few weeks I got to know so many new people and making instant friends. I remember how it was OK to walk up to anyone in your class and ask who they were and where they were from.
• I also really enjoyed joining the Ultimate Frisbee team, because they became my family.
• Sunday brunches with the gang at Parkside were great for catching up on weekend events.

Advice for freshmen:

• Try something! Anything!... But not everything. Make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew. That being said, if there is something that you think might interest you—even if you know nothing about it, Freshmen year is the PERFECT time to go to a club meeting, ask someone about it and try it out. Getting involved at USC from the beginning is one of the best ways to make friends and ensure you have a quality time at USC and something to balance out your schoolwork.

Gabriela Chririboga
chiriboga@usc.edu

Major: Environmental Engineering

Year: Junior

Hometown: Glendale, CA

High School: Clark Magnet High School

Student Involvement: USC Libraries Security Supervisor, SWE, SHPE

Hobbies/Interests: Harry Potter, soccer, Sudoku, reading, crosswords, Arsenal, Los Angeles - Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers

Favorite memory from freshman year:

• The football game against Cal where we went into half time leading 42 to 0. That was a great moment to a Trojan in the stands cheering the team on.

Advice for freshmen:

• Go to as many introductory/involvement meetings as possible to meet new people, explore your interests, and enjoy the free food!

Gagan Basandra
basandra@usc.edu

Major: Computer Science (Games)

Year: Junior

Hometown: San Jose, CA

High School: Evergreen Valley High School

Student Involvement: Southern California Business Film Festival, National Organization for Business and Engineering (NOBE), and Advanced Computer Machinery (ACM)

Hobbies/Interests: Meeting new people, going to USC football games, volunteering, programming video games, and having a good time

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Meeting my new friends at Orientation.
• Welcome Week!
• My first USC Game Day!

Advice for freshmen:

• Live life and have fun! Be open to try new things. I’m sure you’ll hear that multiple times, but seriously, you never know what you might find you love doing something you’ve never tried before!

Georg Ristock

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Minor: Digital Studies

Year: Senior

Hometown: Walnut Creek, CA

High School: Northgate High School

Student Involvement: USC Ballroom and Latin Dance Team, SC Outfitters, Viterbi Student Ambassador, Viterbi Summer Abroad (Rome), Pi Tau Sigma, ATPS, Emerging Leaders Program, Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society, WVT Rush Honors Colloquium

Hobbies/Interests: Camping/hiking/backpacking, ballroom and Latin dancing, photography, robotics, piano

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• The Weekender and other football games.
• Studying at Ground Zero or in the Cinema School building in December with hot chocolate and a pain au chocolat/chocolate croissant.
• My Freshman Academy trip to the Grove.
• Seeing The Fray, Train, Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat, and Solomon Burke at "Cue the Music."

Advice for freshmen:

• Go to the Involvement Fair, sign up for everything that sounds remotely interesting, and go to first meetings – try things that you never tried before.
• Figure out whether you came to USC for a degree, or for an education. If it's the second reason, then realize that the whole university exists just for you – the point of USC is for you to learn and discover new things. Professors are here to teach and enlighten you, not to torment you with busywork. They are primarily paid to teach you – grade-giving is only a small requirement in their job. Look at it from that way, and milk every opportunity to talk to these brilliant minds by going to their office hours.

Gordy Lanza

glanza@usc.edu

Major: Biomedical Engineering (Electrical)

Year: Senior

Hometown: Palo Alto, CA

High School: Gunn High School

Student Involvement: Viterbi Student Ambassador, TKE Fraternity

Hobbies/Interests: I’m a total geek. I love sci-fi – I’ve read it all. I’m a huge gamer too. Besides that, I like to meditate whenever I get a quiet minute to myself.

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Every Sunday my friends and I would have a late breakfast in the back courtyard of EVK. It sounds underwhelming I’m sure, but there is nothing as pleasant as sunshine and omelets after a fun Saturday night.
• Game Days.

Advice for freshmen:

• Jump in! College is going to overwhelm you at one point or another, but don’t let that discourage you from having the time of your life. USC has all the material you need to be happy and to have a meaningful experience, you just need to let it happen – I promise you won’t regret it.

Jason Hoffman
jshoffma@usc.edu

Major: Biomedical Engineering (Electrical)

Year: Junior

Hometown: Kansas City, Kansas

High School: Blue Valley North

Student Involvement: Troy Camp, Research, Ultimate Frisbee, Trojan Health Volunteers

Hobbies/Interests: Frisbee, soccer, guitar, alternative energy, biomedical research, consumer technology

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Snowboarding at Big Bear and going to Santa Monica Beach in the same weekend.
• Weekender at Stanford (lost by 1).
• Birnkrant Floor 6!

Advice for freshmen:

• Try everything. By everything I mean literally anything you think you might be interested in. That was the best thing I did when I was a freshman because even though I did not commit to much, I ended up finding what I love to do sophomore year based on my experience during freshman year.

Jeremy Middleton
jjmiddle@usc.edu

Major: Biomedical Engineering and Biological Sciences (Pre-Med)

Year: Senior

Hometown: Agoura Hills, CA

High School: Agoura High School

Student Involvement: Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Medical Honor Society, Delta Omicron Zeta Leadership Fraternity, EMSC (Director), Joint Educational Program, Research Assistant – Biomedical Microsystems Laboratory, Society 53, Trojan Health Volunteers

Hobbies/Interests: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Emergency Medicine, Family Guy, Percussion Instruments, Rock Climbing, Soccer, USC Sports

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• GAME DAY!
• Friday morning breakfast at EVK.
• Walking on Water (or trying to) as part of Freshman Academy.
• Late-night study breaks for Tro-Gro.
• Meeting so many people!

Advice for freshmen:

• Learn time management skills! The sooner you learn how to plan in advance, the less stressful your life will be!
• Get involved! There are so many opportunities here to explore; go find something that you're interested in!

Julie Strickland
juliestr@usc.edu

Major: Biomedical Engineering (Mechanical)

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Houston, TX

High School: Bellaire High School

Student Involvement: Member of Science Outreach (SCout), Viterbi Liaison for Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering E-Board and active member

Hobbies/Interests: Painting, Yoga, Teaching/Mentoring, Burritos :)

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Mini Golfing and Broomball with ASBME.
• ESPN Zone dinner with my freshman academy class.
• Winning the Justin Bieber impression contest at the Viterbi Luau.
• Seeing The Hunger Games at midnight for a discounted price thanks to USC!

Advice for freshmen:

• Go to office hours and your class discussions! These are great places to share ideas with your classmates and get help with troubling concepts or homework so that you don’t have to spend hours figuring our theorems and cramming to do your homework assignments last minute!

Kat La Chapelle

Major: Civil Engineering

Minor: Political Science, focusing on American Democracy

Year: 5th year Senior

Hometown: Wilmette, IL I'm right by Northwestern University and very close to Chicago.

High School: New Trier High School. Tina Fey went to my rival high school and wrote Mean Girls about my school. Fortunately, the movie is very exaggerated.

Student Involvement: Supplemental Instruction Leader for Physics 151, USC Ski and Snowboard Team

Hobbies/Interests: Mostly Skiing, Snowboarding and Eating. It’s all you really need! But I am generally excited about anything outside, or involves music or sports.

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Getting to know the people on my hall, who I still live with now.
• The Bikin run at Mammoth Mountain.
• My first time going to USC football game and my first time at Disneyland.

Advice for freshmen:

• 4 years is way shorter than you think it is! Enjoy every second of it and get everything you can out of college! Nothing is impossible to do as long as you start planning early!

Kelsey Moirao
moirao@usc.edu  

Major: Industrial and Systems Engineering

Year: Senior

Hometown: Walnut Creek, CA

High School: Las Lomas High School

Student Involvement: Alpha Omega Epsilon, Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), National Academic Initiative tutoring, Explore USC host

Hobbies/Interests: Reading, cooking, hanging out with friends, the beach, being outdoors

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Exploring LA through all the events my awesome RA planned.
• Realizing my randomly-matched roommate and I actually had a lot in common.
• Not-so-stealthily decorating rooms for people’s birthdays.

Advice for freshmen:

• I know everyone says it, but get involved! Find something that works for you. If you don’t like the first activity you find, look for something else you enjoy so you have something else to think about besides school.
• Go out of your way to meet people, in your dorm and in class. Everyone is in the same boat as you for the first month!
• Check out SI the first week it starts if it’s offered for your class. It can really help you get a decent grade in those harder classes.

Laura Falkner
lfalkner@usc.edu

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Minor: Kinesiology

Year: Senior

Hometown: Encinitas, CA

High School: Cathedral Catholic High School

Student Involvement: President of USC Women’s Lacrosse, Troy Camp, Research Assistant at the LA Orthopedic Hospital

Hobbies/Interests:  Lacrosse, cooking, snowboarding, country music, running, San Diego Chargers

Favorite memory from freshman year:

• My first USC football game has definitely been my favorite memory. I loved how excited and enthusiastic everyone was to be there. I have grown up going to San Diego Charger games and have always been a football fan, but USC football is in a league of its own. I love how everyone tailgates and how pumped up everyone is to be there.

Advice for freshmen:

• Get involved with as many things as you can freshman year. That is how you meet people with similar interests as you.
• Don’t be afraid to ask upper classmen questions. They almost always love talking about their experiences at USC.

Leah Tsui
leahtsui@usc.edu

Major: Biomedical Engineering (Biochemical)

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Las Vegas, NV

High School: Ed W. Clark High School

Student Involvement: Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering (Viterbi Liaison), BMEStart – Government Pathways team and Research and Development team, Building Government for Marks Hall and Trojan Hall – URSC Advocacy Representative, Colleges Against Cancer (Recruitment Co-Chair), Community Health Involvement Project, Merit Research with Dr. Tansu Celikel

Hobbies/Interests: I love to volunteer for different organizations, along with reading in my spare time and online shopping. I also work out as often as I can, usually with my friends, so as to make it more fun. And of course, exploring LA is one of my favorite things to do whenever there’s a day of no studying and classes!

Favorite memories from freshman year: 

• Football games, home or away, because the feeling I get, as cliché as this may sound, is that it is amazing to be part of the Trojan family.
• Being involved in various clubs and organizations that have brought me new perspectives, such as exploring new places in LA or finding out about events right on campus. Getting to Santa Monica beach is easy because it’s so close, and the Third Street Promenade mall is definitely worth checking out.
• I think my favorite thing about freshman year has been developing all of the relationships with new friends. It seems like we’ve known each other for forever, yet there’s always so much more to find out. It’s funny to see how relationships form, whether through mutual friends, shared classes, or attending the same club meetings. And I’m excited to see what the future has for me, because this year is only the first one, and I can’t wait to experience the rest.
   

Advice for freshmen:

• Sleep!!! This is something that I never have enough of, and I try to whenever I can! It helps you concentrate better in class and ensures that you don’t miss anything important.
• Write down tasks and their deadlines, it really makes you manage your time better, knowing what exactly is due and when. Keep your priorities straight as the weeks go by, it’s easy to get caught up in the experience of being away from home for the first time (which is totally fun and I’m not saying you shouldn’t enjoy it!) but remember that you’re here for attending school.
• At the same time, don’t stay in your room or the library all the time! The key to college is balancing fun time and studying time.
• Be sure to figure out your best studying habits, keeping in mind that what works for your friend next to you or what worked in high school may not be the same as what works for you now.

Lyssa Aruda
aruda@usc.edu

Major: Chemical Engineering (Nanotechnology)

Minor: Art History

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Newport Beach, CA

High School: Corona del Mar High School

Student Involvement: AICHE (Freshmen Relations Officer), SWE, research, Trojan Scholars Society

Hobbies/Interests: Cooking, baking, exploring Los Angeles, fishing, traveling, art museums, roller coasters

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Going to a fraternity invite with my best friend in matching dinosaur costumes for Halloween. It was so silly and fun!
• I also loved every football game and had so much fun cheering for our team.

Advice for freshmen:

• Take advantage of all the new opportunities you have in college and try a lot of different things your first year. Then you can narrow down your interests and better decide what you really want to be involved in.

Meaghin Riske
riske@usc.edu

Major: Biomedical Engineering (Mechanical)

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Orinda, CA (East Bay)

High School: Acalanes High School

Student Involvement: Freshman Representative for Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering, Ambassador for Society of Women Engineers

Hobbies/Interests: Singing, playing ukulele, learning piano, reading for pleasure, gaming, watching movies, browsing on the internet, outdoor activities

Favorite memory from freshman year:

• ASBME Broomball was one of my favorite memories because it involved some of my best friends from ASBME in a friendly competition with other engineers, including my own academy coach! Broomball itself is really exciting and fun and when we added three balls to the game field, the entire game became hilarious.

Advice for freshmen:

• Don’t be afraid to get involved with lots of activities to find out what you like best. During freshman year, you will have the most free time to develop your interests more and no one will hold it against you if you decide to not stay involved in a few clubs or organizations. Try things that you’re interested in but also make sure you maintain a balance between your extracurricular or social time, and your schoolwork. Things can feel like they’re getting a little out of control but everything will settle down after a while.

Naa Adei Mante
naaadeim@usc.edu

Major: Undeclared Engineering

Minor: Classics

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Severn, MD (and no, I am not from Baltimore :) )

High School: St. Timothy's School

Student Involvement: Women’s Club Rugby, National Society of Black Engineers, Research Assistant (SAIL), ACTIVE USC, Africa SC, Black Student Assembly, SWE, Government Law Organization

Hobbies/Interests: Playing and watching sports, community service

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Going to Disneyland using public transportation.
• Travelling to away games with my Rugby team.
• Stalking celebrities at the NAACP Image Awards, Drake Concert, SAG Awards and Kids Choice Awards with friends.
• Trying to quietly study with friends in Club Leavey.

Advice for freshmen:

• Take advantage of the academic resources that Viterbi has to offer (CED, VARC, etc.) as early as you can.
• If you feel overwhelmed, don’t worry, you’re not alone (but in a good way). As long as you’re a student at USC there will always be someone to help you.
• You are going to get a lot of advice about what you should do in college. But just remember, you don’t have to do it all in your first semester!

Nathan Pureco
pureco@usc.edu

Major: Industrial and Systems Engineering

Year: Senior

Hometown: Foothill Ranch, CA

High School: Trabuco Hills High School

Student Involvement: Institute of Industrial Engineers (IIE), USC Volunteer Latin America, Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)

Hobbies/Interests: Swimming, exploring the greater Los Angeles area for outstanding restaurants, traveling, and of course, USC Football

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Spending too much time in the dining halls.
• Hanging out with all my floor mates in the dorms.
• Spending all of my dining dollars at Trojan Grounds.

Advice for freshmen:

• Take advantage of every opportunity you are given and meet as many people as you can at the dorms and the cafeterias.
• Also, try going to your professors’ office hours, they love seeing/meeting their students and going to their office hours shows you care.
• Try taking some Physical Education courses. They are a great way to relieve stress, and you get to meet people you would not have otherwise met in your core classes.

Nicholas Pachon
npachon@usc.edu

Major: Biomedical Engineering (Mechanical)

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Claremont, CA

High School: Claremont High School

Student Involvement: Active member/Founding Father in the social fraternity Phi Sigma Kappa, Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering (ASBME)

Hobbies/Interests: Staying active from doing a wide range of activities, from a game of soccer to just going for a run, browsing the webs - by that I mean Reddit!!! Movie Connoisseur, playing games of pool and cards while relaxing with a group of friends

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• A great moment that stands out from my freshman year was the ASBME “Mentoring Olympics”, in which the underclassmen from the club were paired with upper classmen and then competed against one another doing a variety of crazy and hilarious challenges. These ranged from passing balls and trashcans using only feet or hands, while also doing chariot rides…nuff said.
• Another memory that stands out was the night that our fraternity got chartered within USC and became an official fraternity on campus, where a banquet was held in Town and Gown with various important members from both Phi Sigma Kappa and USC and we just celebrated the work we were able to accomplish.

Advice for freshmen:

• Use this first year to go out and push and challenge yourself to do the things that you’ve always wanted to do or were never sure of it was for you, as this is one of the few times when you can do this unrestricted and freely. USC has a variety of clubs and organizations that raises appeal in all areas, from learning to fence, going out rock climbing, to even joining a fraternity or sorority. Look for the groups or activities that you see yourself not only having fun in, but also becoming more involved over your time at USC and becoming a contributor to the idea. For me, this was to run for an officer position in ASBME as well as to become a Freshman Academy Coach.
• Try to balance your life and keep track of what’s going on what week, knowing what weekends can be fun and the others where you have to buckle down and study. Balance is key!!!

Radhika Raman

Major: Electrical Engineering

Minors: Business Law, Screenwriting

Year: Junior

Hometown: San Diego, CA

High School: Scripps Ranch High School

Student Involvement: VP of USC NOBE, Pre-Law Society, Viterbi Student Ambassador, KIUEL E-LAB participant, Society of Women Engineers

Hobbies/Interests: Los Angeles Lakers basketball, Trojan football, classic literature, film, real estate, tennis, hiking, writing, cooking, swimming, dancing

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Winning the Smart and Final Trivia Challenge at our first home football game and getting to watch from the field.
• Going to Knott's Scary Farm with friends from my floor (BK4 represent).
• Late night dance parties/eating taquitos with friends to reenergize when staying up late to complete Physics 161 problem sets and Writing 140 papers.

Advice for freshmen:

• Take care of yourself! It’s so easy to fall in to a pattern of weird sleeping and eating habits (and you will). Try to establish some sort of guidelines for sleep, exercise, and eating properly whenever possible. It will keep you energized and ensure success.
• Don’t be afraid to reach out to people. Especially early in the year, a simple introduction in a class can go a long way. Socializing is important.
• Network whenever possible. Company recruiters and representatives, professionals, and other successful individuals that visit campus are always impressed when freshmen take the time to introduce themselves. Even if they don’t have something for you right away, they will definitely remember you.

Rayed Khan

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Minor: 3D Animation

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Pleasanton, CA

High School: Foothill High School

Student Involvement: Merit Research (combustion engines), HALO (Helping Art Liberate Orphans) Media Manager, Trojan Scholars Society

Hobbies/Interests: Aviation, graphic design, animation, reading, writing, swimming, traveling

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Exploring downtown LA with my friends.
• Going to Disneyland with close friends on a beautiful day with blue skies and no lines.
• Floor dinners with Birnkrant floor 4!
• Meeting lots of incredible people.

Advice for freshmen:

• Stay healthy. Eat breakfast before morning classes, exercise, and get enough sleep. It really makes everything else easier.
• USC’s campus has a lot to offer, but it’s nice to venture into the beyond. Downtown LA, Griffith Park, Santa Monica, Disneyland…
• Get to know your professors (by going to office hours)! They’re great to talk to about class or anything else. And, if their research interests you, ask about how to get involved.

Sara Proctor

smprocto@usc.edu

Major: Industrial and Systems Engineering

Minor: German

Year: Junior

Hometown: Costa Mesa, CA

High School: Mater Dei High School

Student Organizations: USC Tour Guide, USC Helenes, Alpha Delta Pi sorority, SC Outfitters

Hobbies/Interests: Traveling, finding new places to eat, exploring, reading, running on the beach, playing tennis, watching movies/TV, hanging out with friends

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• All the football games… SO MUCH FUN I LOVE FOOTBALL.
• Getting to know everyone who lived on my floor and hanging out with them all the time, especially into the early hours of the morning when we were all delirious.
• Joining USC Helenes! I love love love this organization and have made some of my best friends from it.
• Jumping in the fountain during the final Primal Scream in the Spring.
   

Advice for freshmen:

• Keep your options open and try new things! You never know what you might like or be interested in, and you may end up surprising yourself.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it or to ask questions.
• Work hard but also remember to stay balanced. Have fun. Seize everyday like there’s no tomorrow. Life is short and so is college.

 

Scott Nomura

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Minor: French

Year: Junior

Hometown: Monterey Park, CA

High School: Pasadena Polytechnic

Student Involvement: Merit Research--BioMEMS Lab, Troy Camp, USC Fencing Team, CIRM Stem Cell Lab, ASBME, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Golden Key International Honour Society, Trojan Scholars Society, Pre-Health String Ensemble Student Director, LoadedLanguage, Baccalaureate/MD Program

Hobbies/Interests: Camping, fencing, watching USC sports, ukulele/learning new instruments, LA Clippers, creative writing

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Alternative Spring Break volunteer trip to Orcas Island.
• Taking Ground Zero study breaks and throwing glow-in-the-dark Frisbees on McCarthy Quad.
• LA Live scavenger hunt as part of Freshman Academy. Our team won!
• USC Football home games.

Advice for freshmen:

• Have fun outside of the classroom too: get involved, meet new people, and learn as much as you can (about anything)!
• Take time to actually learn the concepts in your intro classes.
• Talk to everyone (including professors and TAs). You’ll hear advice, cool stories, and about free food!
• Be awesome: be yourself.

Soumya Murag

Major: Biomedical Engineering

Year: Junior

Hometown: Cupertino, CA

High School: Monta Vista High School

Student Involvement: Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering, Global Medical Brigades, Merit Research, Southern California Indo Americans

Hobbies/Interests: Hiking, running, shopping, trying new restaurants

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Figuring out the bus system by attempting to go to Venice Beach.
• Looking over LA from the parking structures on campus.
• Hollywook Sign hike.
• Late night Trojan Grounds runs.
• Parkside omelets.

Advice for freshmen:

• Be strong and confident in who you are and who you want to become, but be open-minded to all the paths open to you! Make it count.

Steve Wolfsohn

Major: Biomedical Engineering (Electrical)

Year: Senior

Hometown: (Beautiful) Hartland, WI

High School: Arrowhead High School

Student Involvement: Co-President of the Associated Students of Biomedical Engineering (Winner of MULTIPLE best org-on-campus awards!), Viterbi Student Ambassador, Relay For Life (President last year, avid supporter this year!)

Hobbies/Interests: Video games (playing AND creating!), tennis, volleyball, cello, skiing, cheering on Trojan football and volleyball, friends. I’m trying to learn to program on my own.

Favorite memories from freshman year:

• Hanging out with my awesome floor (trips, events, making a music video, writing for our blog, Mario Kart, just hanging out).
• Going to Magic Mountain and Disneyland and Knott’s Scary Farm.
• The Weekender (when everyone goes to a football game at Berkeley or Stanford).
• Going to LA Live to see movies.
• Seeing the Fray at the Galen Center, OkGo.

Advice for freshmen:

• USC has tons of resources to make your life easier/better/more fun. Seek them out and take advantage of them.
• Talk to upperclassmen (like the coaches or your RA) for help with the last piece of advice.
• Take advantage of the free shuttle to LA Live or try out other public transportation. You’ll get more out of the city and you won’t have to rely on people with cars.
• Go to Ground Zero and get a milkshake: they’re fantastic!