April is an eventful month as students begin to finalize plans for the summer, the next academic year and post-graduation. With these plans usually come notifications for scholarship awards, and USC has once again proved that in this department, we know how to succeed.
Of the four nominations USC was allowed to submit for the Goldwater Scholarship this year, two students received the scholarship and two were honorable mentions, bringing USC’s total number of Goldwater recipients since 1990 to a whopping 43. With a nationwide total of only 300 Goldwater recipients each year, the fact that all our nominations were recognized is an impressive feat. Throughout the years, the Goldwater has only been one of numerous national scholarships and fellowships USC students have received, others including the Fulbright, Truman, Rhodes, Boren and many other grants for research, graduate school and study abroad opportunities.
Let’s keep up the good work, USC, and show we don’t have to be at an elite institution to do great things. Our undergraduate career should be the time of our lives, but we should also remember that learning doesn’t, and shouldn’t, end after four years of college. With a plethora of resources at our fingertips and many experienced and knowledgeable faculty and staff available to help us right now, we should all consider taking advantage of the scholarships and free money while we can to travel and research and gain valuable experiences in our youth. After all, getting paid to learn is never a bad thing.