Class of 2021: Digital Yearbook

My fondest memory of my time at USC were the talks and networking events organized by various clubs. It was really a wonderful feeling to meet and network with so many amazing and smart people at a single place. Also, the research labs at USC are top-notch and I really cherish being able to work with the amazing Professors and research scholars here. USC is, was and will always be my home away from home, thanks to the marvelous community of my fellow Trojans!

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time spent at the USC. Whether it was spending time at the weekender, cheering on our football team, or competing in the fishing tournaments every moment has been cherished. RIP study hall my go to place for happy hour on Wednesday, you will always have a special place in my heart.

I appreciate all my friends that I met at USC, especially Mengyu Zhang. I had a wonderful time with you guys here. I wouldn't be able to survive these two years without you. Though the time we spent with each other is much shorter than we expected, I do believe we will keep supporting each other in the future. Starbucks and the libraries that witness our friendship will last forever with our memories.

I would like to express my gratitude to all the fantastic and dedicated Professors of the Computer Science Department for providing a valuable and fun learning experience transitioned to remote studies in the 2020-2021 academic year. Furthermore, I am extremely thankful to Prof. Aiichiro Nakano who guided me to combine my chemistry background with the necessary skillset and knowledge in computational physics and machine learning to evolve as a multidisciplinary computational scientist. Thank You for your mentorship leading to my first scientific publication making me a published scientist (and being featured on the cover of the Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling😊)!

One word that'd define my time here is Metamorphosis. Two years at USC showed me who I could really be, and what I was capable of. From writing game-playing AI in C++ to being able to build an easily deployable distributed ML system just because I wanted to, my time here enabled me to explore and expand my abilities in all fields, academic, extracurricular, and personal. My friends, professors and peers truly exemplified Los Angeles' moniker as The City of Angels.

USC is a beautiful university and a great place for studying. LA is also a great city that left me with many good memories. I still remember the afternoon that I first got in Doheni Library looking for a place to sit down and read books. I was impressed by the quiet environment and strong academic atmosphere there. Since then, I prefer going to Doheni Library and studying with others. I really miss the time I spent there, it was a time without any distractions and only focusing on my own business. Wish I could be there again!

I strongly recommend everyone try the 'Salt & Straw' on Abbot Kinney Blvd, it has the best ice cream in LA.

I had wonderful 2 years of experience as a master student at USC. I spent most of my time at Levy and SAL Library. I enjoyed attending events, tech talks and fest. As a member of Women in Computing (WIC) I had an opportunity to meet talented people from different organization.

Being an international student it was overwhelming at first to step foot on a foreign country, live by myself, cooking, cleaning and doing laundry (Laundry is the worst of them all!). But due to USC's vast alumni network and friendly classmates the journey was smooth! As we all know, the journey is what matters - not the destination.

One of the major learnings during my 2 years Masters was: things will go wrong often, times will be tough, but at these moments you have to ignite the trojan spirit in you and keep fighting on. Don't give up even though the pace seems slow, you are just another blow from success. At the end, enjoy these precious moments , they will be worth remembering lifetime.

USC has been a turning point in my life. When I sit and reflect how much I've grown since I've been here, the friends I've made, and the opportunities that've opened up since, I find myself having a small grin up my face. The Leavey Library is one of my all time favorites. Its over there that I made friends, pulled all-nighters and experienced a range of emotions as I continuously worked towards meeting deadlines.

The professors I like most are Yao-Yi Chiang and Mike Zyda. Yao-Yi is very kind, he helps me with references, also I enjoyed his data mining class very much. Mike is nice, and he introduced me to the video game industry.

You never know where life will take you. It can be surprising, exciting, even scary. But you'll come out of it better. Just remember to keep on moving forward, one step at a time.

My time at USC was formative, fun filled and incredibly productive. I took some great classes and learnt a lot through all the ups and downs. I am proud of how we handled the curveball life threw at us the last year and will cherish the wonderful memories I made along the way. I am excited for us to graduate and start a new chapter in our lives! Here's wishing everyone the best of luck, stay strong and Fight On!

USC has been the greatest and one of the most important moments of my life. It has not only given me my Masters degree but has also taught me a plethora of inter-personal skills that I would have learned only at USC! This two-year journey wasn't easy though - there were a lot of ups and downs throughout the roadmap. But at the end of the day, it was all worth it! Some of the courses I liked at USC are Database Systems, Analysis of Algorithms, Game Development, etc. Apart from the amazing curriculum, the time that I had spent as Diversity Senator as well as Graduate Career Ambassador made the whole experience a little more exciting. I got a chance to meet with people coming from all across the globe and also tried out different cuisines as well! My advise to incoming students would be - USC has an abundance of resources to offer, it is up to you to make efficient use of them! Fight On!!

From the first day I set foot on USC till the day I leave, I will forever be in awe of it's aura. Thank you so much for making international students like me feel so safe and at home throughout. I will take back with me memories of beautiful morning walks on campus, admiring LA's majestic skyline, spending entire days studying at Leavey (3rd floor's my favorite by the way), and making new friends from all around the world. LA, I am not done with you, and I will be back! Thank you most of all to my grandparents, Ajji and Thatha, who I lost this year. Nothing would have been possible without you. I know you are still there with us today and I'll forever be grateful. Miss you.

Loved being able to shoot photos for USC's athletic programs and getting close to the action even with COVID being an issue during my last semester! Also, Aaron Cote is the GOAT.

Now that I am graduating I feel comfortable giving up the best study spot on campus that most engineering students do not know about. Three letters JFF look it up.

Located at one of the most picturesque locations in the States, USC boasts of a rich culture, a grandiose campus and astute faculty. Between deciding whether to rush to the classes or watch it later on DEN and whether to attend the campus events or study for the mid-sem, I grew up as a person. Seeing the yellow jacket security as I cycle through Ellendale, enjoying a great swim, sweating it out at the state-of-the-art gyms or the badminton court, self-study and group discussions at the Leavey, walking across the beautiful campus, game nights and short tours with friends, winning my first ever pumpkin carving contest at Chi Alpha and a musical-chair-turned-dance-face-off at RTCC, looking for internships and then jobs, and taking pride as being a trojan, pretty much sums up my 2 years at USC. USC will always be close to my heart. Fight on!!!

USC has exactly given me what I was "California dreaming" about since my undergraduate years back in India. Throughout the Masters journey, apart from the academic ladder I climbed, I learnt how to grab countless opportunities, networking skills, how to grow by pushing the boundaries of the comfort zone and being independent! I will be forever grateful to USC for this. I feel blessed that I had the chance to live the LA life and be a part of USC. Fight On! #California #TrojanSpirit #USC

Pursuing my masters at USC has been a life changing experience for me. It was fun as well as challenging. The academic pressure, the job-search hustle along with the feeling of missing your home would drain out a lot of energy. But, the main thing my masters taught me was to be patient, determined and work as hard as I can to achieve my goals. I learnt so many new things, not only from my coursework in Data Science but also in life. Also, I made so many friends and acquaintances, few of those who would I feel remain close to me for the rest of my life. I would cherish the memories of attending classes with them, roaming around the university with a cup of coffee, studying together and encouraging each other to fight on with our own battles in life. As I come closer to graduating from this prestigious university, I would really thank my wonderful parents, my brother and my grandparents from the bottom of my heart for supporting me through thick and thing miles apart in another corner of the world. I owe it to them. USC has been a roller coaster, a thrilling one, funny one and an enjoyable one. And now I finally understand and thrive on the words, FIGHT ON!!

I had an amazing time at USC. I started my MS Degree in Fall 2019 and fortunately I could access the campus for a good 8 months before everything got shut down. It started with an amazing orientation on Day 1, then multiple activities organized by VASE, AIS and LCET, I also enjoyed multiple USC Football games, getting free food from Trojan Pantry was always helpful! Going to Trojan Talks and listening to industry experts helped me a lot and landed me an internship through one of the Trojan Talks as well. USC has taught me to become independent, stay together, help others and be a better engineer than what I was before joining USC. The trojan spirit and values helper me become a better person and I am forever grateful for my USC family and look forward to contribute back to USC in any way possible!

"I wish there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them." Those classes, those giggles, the unfathomable assignments, the snacking and the 24x7 entertainment of `stupid` friends, will all be cherished forever. For us, all this was over almost a year before it was supposed to, but we all found new ways to live and enjoy our moments, for we are SC. As we bid adieu to our beloved campus, we welcome our successors to the best days of their lives. My only advice for those who get to be here, is that don't miss a single moment, it is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity! FIGHT ON, Trojans!

Always love the sun of LA. And if you don't know Operating Systems well, don't miss CSCI402, it did help me find my job.

When it comes to computer science majors, no one can escape the class: CSCI 104. If you happen to take this class with the same professor in the same semester as I did, you will definitely understand why I choose this photo. Anyway, we all made it. If you ever encounter any trouble in the future, think about this project and how easily we can solve it now after four years of training. Congratulations on the graduation!!!

CS is hard and I can't remember how nights that I spent studying at the Leavey Library. But when you look back on those hard times when you graduate, you will find all the efforts are worthy. Study hard and play hard. Don't make yourself regret. Fight on!

I had a great time at USC! My favorite class was CSCI-513, Autonomous Cyber-Physical Systems. Leavey was the best place to study. Prof. Saty was the coolest professor ever and HackSC was a lovely event organized by the student community. My advice to new students would be to enjoy college life to the fullest extent, network with new people and participate in as many events as possible. USC will provide umpteen opportunities, leverage them!

If you want to make friends, play Pokemon GO at the rose garden during events like Community Days. It gets so lively with families and merchants all out in full force.

Studying at USC was undoubtedly one of the best times of my life. The campus, people, faculty and peers were so helpful and supportive. Game days, movie nights and tailgates events are easily the most memorable events that happened in the campus. To all the incoming students don't miss the events on the campus and beaches around LA.

My time in USC got hooked on so many cuisines of food, taught me it's never too late to reach out to anyone in USC's massive "network" and gave me the amazing chance to experience the city of Los Angeles. The location of USC and coming to LA has truly been a life altering time! The sport culture got me into American Football and Basketball, which as an international student, was exciting to watch and cheer for. Fight on!

Always be prepared.

Honestly, my most fond memory is when I first found out I was accepted into USC's Cybersecurity Engineering program. I was in shock the entire time because it was a dream of mine to go to USC and I never applied for my undergrad. When I got that acceptance, I was at a restaurant with my now husband. I remember jumping up and down, and crying. It is a memory I will always cherish. Afterwards, my husband did a photo session for me so I could show off my Trojan pride. 🙂

My time at USC has been an incredible experience overall in terms of academic & social growth. I learnt a lot during this program even though it was just 2 years. Can't forget those days at Leavey library & events happening around campus! We have been through a lot this past year but we didn't lose our Fight on spirit!

I'd be lying if I said my Master's was all fun and games. But the hard work was worth it! It made me a stronger and a better person. I've made memories that I will cherish for life and friends who made this journey incredibly fun. The pandemic hit hard, but the support from USC was much appreciated. I hope everyone found their purpose here and full-filled their dreams. FIGHT ON!

Even with the pandemic, we "Fought On!" Learnt, laughed, enjoyed and hustled but finally made it. Congratulations Class of 2021!

Humbled through our experiences, toughened by our situations, smartened from our choices, I congratulate the entire USC class of 2021. No matter what are circumstances are, we got one thing in common, we "Fight On".

These 2 years went by in a flash. I want to thank my family and dearest friend SK. Fight On!

My favorite classes were Multimedia and Autonomous Cyber-Physical Systems. Both classes introduced me to amazing concepts and it was a wonderful learning experience. I am also grateful to have contributed back in Multimedia Systems as a Teaching Assistant. The best part of campus life is to have evening walks and to watch the campus under lights while enjoying a Hot Chocolate from Starbucks.

The best decision I have made in my undergrad was applying for a position in Professor Viktor Prasanna's lab when I was a Sophomore. Now I am graduating and will start my Ph.D. studies in the fall. I will never forget this place that sparked my interest in the field of High Performance Computing and, most importantly, taught me how to be a well-rounded researcher.

USC is the best. LA has the best sunset on a rainy day. RTH has the best curry chicken. Fight On!

USC is the best university ever!

I had no idea the pandemic was coming! Regardless, my time at USC was absolutely incredible! I am happy I was able to attend more than a semester of classes, some on and off-campus events, studying at the Leavey Library in person, and getting to explore LA with my friends in the beautiful weather of Southern California. I am proud that we have made it through the pandemic. Congratulations to everyone who is graduating! To my fellow Trojan juniors, I say, "Fight On!"

Even though most of my time at USC was online (sigh), I enjoyed my time here at USC. The courses were well taught, the professors were great, and the peer group was excellent. I spent most of my time here prepping for internships, solving course assignments, hitting the gym, and going for hikes around LA!
I used to laugh at the people who told me that college would go by in the blink of an eye. And then it did. The days go by faster and faster the closer you get to leave. Take advantage of the time you do have here at USC!

The last two years have honestly been the best in my life. USC and the community of people that I met here made me grow in all facets of my life - academics, leadership, networking, spirituality, life-skills. This university is like a 'Kalpavriksha' - a Sanksrit word, which means 'A wish-fulfilling Desire Tree'. To all incoming students, my advice would be to grab hold of all the wonderful opportunities that USC provides you, and early, to make the most of the short time that you spend here! Once a Trojan, always a Trojan! Fight on!

In my undergraduate study, I tried to discover more potentials of myself and learn more: being a course producer, doing some research work, and joining Ama's Momento. The more that I participated in, the more interesting things that came up to me. Through the process, I met with many outstanding teammates who are not only good at their study, but also creative thinkers, and I really appreciated the time spent with them and benefited a lot from them. I still remebered that we stayed up late to complete a project which would be presented the following day. I think the largest pity is that I would not able to attend offline graduation ceremony and have a spare time to say goodbye to them.

Fight On!

A college degree is not a sign of a finished product but an indication a person is prepared for life.

Favorite class - Data mining
Favorite teacher - Clifford Neuman
LA restaurant - Abhiruchi and Bombay Frankie for Indian food in Culver City
Best location to study - Leavey library

Those were some of the best days, taking tough classes taught by best the professors, just submitting assignments before deadlines, sleepless nights studying for exams in Leavey. The time I used to play soccer and racketball with friends, enjoying late night walks near Santa Monica Pier. Random and spontaneous trips to Yosemite and San Diego. Now that I'm away from USC, I'm left behind with endless memories I can cherish for the rest of my life =)

Be Better!

10 years ago, when I was in high school, I asked myself, "What do I want to do with my life?". My gut replied, "Dream, chase that dream, and never settle." It was then when I began to set goals for my life and education. Getting into USC was a dream come true moment. What an amazing time I spent here! Coming all the way from India, to pursue a Master's in Computer Science, with a lot of ambition and faith, I was enthralled to see the network of people here. I met fantastic students and Professors in this journey of two years, and I had one of the best coursework in Algorithms, Machine Learning, Data Mining, NLP, AI, and so on. Although it was challenging to manage courses, assignments, projects, coding, job applications, rejections, etc., amid the pandemic, I became much stronger and resilient. The best part at USC was the plethora of events that never failed to engage and helped me to appreciate the talents around me. I would always cherish the experiences in LA like trekking at the Hollywood, staring at the lights from Griffith, relaxing in Santa Monica, gazing over the sunset at Malibu, lots and lots more. The one piece of advice which I would give out to the incoming students is, never forget to enjoy and have a good time while working hard on your challenges. Fight on!

My time at USC has been amazing. I have met amazing lifelong friends and as a DEN student I didn't think that that would be the case. One of my favorite memories is being apart of the organization Black Graduate Student Network (BGSN). BGSN had an event for the USC v UCLA tailgate, that day brought forth high energy, lots of dancing, lots fun, happiness and not to mention WE WON!!!! My advice for incoming students is that classes may get hectic especially if you're working as well but if you can take any moment to go to an event, it will be worth it.

CR7 is the GOAT. #FightOn

Keep calm and Salsa @USCbreakOn2 !!

USC has given me very fond memories and am lucky to share them with my amazing bunch of friends! Grateful for this opportunity to accomplish my dream which wouldn't have been possible without my parents. Will always be a proud Trojan! Fight On!

The journey of Masters in USC has been a life changing experience for me. "Necessity is the mother of invention" - This saying proved correct for me since from being a newbie in cooking to making food enough for my survival, I acquired several other skills apart from technical skills. Being so far from family in an unknown part of the world was full of uncertainties but family like friends made the journey a lot easier. Made lot of memories of visiting several places, got an opportunity to give a musical performance in Bovard Auditorium, attended various campus events, got lots of free t-shirts, food, etc. It was the best experience of my life. At the last, I would also like to thank my parents without whom I could not have got the chance to experience this. I would also like to wish all the very best to the upcoming students for their wonderful career ahead.

A huge shoutout to my parents, my elder brother and an amazing bunch of friends that turned into family. It's been one hell of an experience and a fantastic two years! Fight On!

Masters degree requires a lot of hard-work and dedication but once achieved, you will have a wonderful experience for life. My time at USC has been a wonderful experience of study, work, fun and party! From organizing events to meeting assignment deadlines, to having fun at parties after midterms... It has been a rollercoaster of emotions and the best time of my life. XD #FightOn #proudTrojan

I remember the day when a senior said that Masters feels like honeymoon in start and then rigorous course takes over. The ride was exactly like that for me. It feels difficult, but just keep going. USC is also known as University of Spoiled Children :p I loved beaches around. Stay active, make connections, party and fight on!! Proud to be a Trojan!

From spoiling myself with all the amazing food in Ktown and Little Tokyo to relaxing at different beaches in LA with friends, there were endless memories at USC. However, serving as a resident assistant on campus and speaking with President Folt on move-in day was one of the most rewarding, memorable experiences at USC. I am so thankful for my Trojan family and the unforgettable memories at USC. Fight on!

Time at USC has been nothing short of a journey. Here I enjoyed a lot, learnt a lot, and made a best friend. Good luck to everyone!

I still remember my first day on campus. With so many feelings and emotions, I was wandering around the campus to get a tour of it. It is so nostalgic to visit the same spots and think back when I started as a scared and excited student but now, finishing as a confident graduate. A huge thanks to everyone who were a part of my journey, for making this a wonderful chapter of my life.

As a DEN student, I spent most of my time studying at home. Several memories stick with me, though, from my time at USC. I enjoyed traveling to campus to give presentations with my classmates, forming connections that last to this day. Barry Boehm's lectures were both informative and inspirational; I'm grateful that he still takes the time to teach even though he certainly doesn't have to.

Unlike most other college experiences, the 'COVID' life had its own ups and downs. Besides the roller-coaster academic journey (which I am sure is still uncertain for another year), LA has been a great place to live and learn. Exploring tons of places to eat will be one of the best outcome out of this entire college life. Toscana, Fries by Santa Monica, Southern Spice, Dolly Llama to name a few. LA surely has some amazing eateries for all the foodies out there.

This was the first time I am away from home to pursue my Masters at USC. Journey was not that easy when I started but by the support few teachers here, advisors, family and friends, I was able to complete it. I really loved all the campus events and festival celebrations. I was always active to attend and participate in all the events. I am really gonna miss staying around the campus, roaming in evening in the campus, grabbing a coffee outside the Leavy and lot more. I just want to say enjoy each and everyday of your journey, everything will end up fine and you will come out stronger.

Class of 2021, congratulations for making it through a pandemic. We have successfully found our way through a once-in-a-century pandemic. I cannot thank enough USC for taking the initiative at every step to help us face the challenges. Studying at Leavey Library and talking to friends at USC Village was always fun. Incoming class know that USC has so many things to offer, please make the most out of it.

Participating in the 2019 orientation for the new fall 2019 USC Students. This was one highlight of my starting years of my Masters program, being able to help new students through things that you went through a few months ago when I was a new student.

4 years at USC flew by! Can't believe it's over but so grateful for all the incredible memories. I met some of the most incredible people during my time here, some of which I'm lucky to call my friends. I'm certain that the graduating class of 2021 will continue to do great work and positively impact the world in many ways. There's nothing like skating down a busy USC campus on a sunny day. I'm going to miss that so much.

I've been pulling out all-nighters since Fall 2014. I won't lie, it was a tough ride, but guess who is done with skipping sleep to finish homework and projects? Now that I'm done with school, I'll start pulling out all-nighters because I'll enjoy night life and travel around the world! We have a finite time on Earth. Enjoy your youth, fellow Trojans!

I would never forget the first USC-UCLA clash that I witnessed. It was a basketball game at Galen Centre. The build-up into the game, energy of The Spirit of Troy, free Chick-fil-A haha when USC was about to win. The game was really special and USC indeed thrashed UCLA. A simple advice to juniors would be to make use of the ample opportunities that the university provides. And do not miss matches against UCLA :p, we always win! Fight On!

Thank you Viterbi school of engineering for the experience. My favorite moments include the football game against University of Arizona. I had an opportunity for a free ticket and enjoyed the game throughout. Lets take advantage of the pandemic due to the increased demand for tech worker and remote workers for computer scientists like us!

Absolutely loved the 2 years at USC. It has been fun and challenging at the same time. As I move to Seattle, I will definitely miss LA.

For me, the two years at the University of Southern California have been a very precious time in my life. It's my first time to be out of my own country to study. Without my friends, I need to study by myself, I need to solve all of my problems by myself. During this 2 years, I made a lot of faithful friends, took several great courses and had a wonderful internship. I also love the buildings, trees, flowers and faculties of USC, after graduating, I will always recall them.

My time at USC was more than just a master's degree. I became an Angeleno, ate too much In-N-Out, enjoyed screaming at concerts, explored the city of stars, fell in love with California sunsets, shared unforgettable days and nights at USC with friends I made for life. First class, CSCI 570 Analysis of Algorithms, Prof. Shamsian, we were the only ones sitting in the first row. Always say hi to your fellow classmates, you never know who will become your Trojan squad. From first row to study group, to pancake partners and all-nighter buddies. Thankful for my CS friends, Teach for LA volunteers, SWEsters, great USC events like the fantastic shows of Grupo Folklorico and of course, being part of the Trojan family. Go Trojans!

I carry the same emotions in my graduating semester as I did on my Day 1. Coming from India into such a renowned university was a dream come true for me. I love the campus, from Leavy library to Lyon center! I love studying in Doheny as well as the famous Leavy library. I still remember the Scavenger Hunt from the welcome days, one of the best events at USC. Although I couldn't enjoy the campus due to COVID, I have been going to the campus since the Spring semester. I would like to thank each and everyone graduating with me. During the tough covid times, it couldn't have been possible without these guys. Also a very big ' All the best !' to all the incoming students.