>> I think-- I didn't really understand
what people meant how being a Trojan gets
in your blood and it just kind
of becomes part of your nature.
It becomes who you are and
I didn't really understand
that until I was getting close to graduation.
For me, having graduated, it kind of-- the
financial collapse and coming out of finance,
I was-- you know, I didn't
know what I was going to do.
I mean, people weren't hiring,
it was a disaster.
One story I found out about the Trojan
Network and found out about the individuals
that are willing to help and started
connecting with those individuals,
I realize that USC really is a family.
It's not just an education and it's a
type of institution and relationship
that people not only give back
to you on a personal level,
but give back to the university as a whole.
And being a part of something that's much
more this kind of symbiotic relationship
where everyone is all in it together has just
been such a passion of mine, especially helping
out with the undergrads now
and even the MBA students,
trying to help them get an understanding
of what the Trojan family offers.
You know, at the same time, the
school has a very competitive nature
and I think the competitive nature
instilled within me has helped me to progress
in my company and has really
fostered a lot of strong relationships
for me both professionally
as well as personally.