“We will all be watching in excitement and pride as you go on and change the world,” Dean Thanassis Rikakis expressed to the spirited graduates at USC Iovine and Young’s sixth graduation ceremony. 

The May 12 commencement at USC’s Bovard Auditorium was a momentous event that not only honored the graduating class of 2023, it celebrated creativity and intersectional innovation, pursuing passions with purpose, and the unwavering power of community. 

In addition to a stage featuring the school’s the dean and esteemed professors, cofounder Andre “Dr. Dre” Young was in attendance to hand out diplomas. Keynote speaker Asma Ishaq, CEO of global lifestyle brand Modere, delivered a heartening commencement speech that extended encouragement, fortitude, and lasting life lessons.

Dean Rikakis kicked off the ceremony with his rousing remarks, highlighting the importance of an intersectional education in this ever-evolving technological climate. 

“Our society is desperately seeking Iovine and Young Academy graduates like you – creative young people who know how to engage in complex intersections that impact our lives,” he asserted, before shining a light on some of the inventive projects seniors have been developing.

“Graduation today is only a starting point to a lifelong development and application of a personal and collaborative innovation capacity that will allow you to pursue truly inclusive and high dimensional societal impact,” he concluded. 

Asma Ishaq’s commencement message emboldened graduates to follow their dreams, defying expectations and eliminating doubt. Outlining her own story, a single mom who went from aspiring surgeon to business owner to global CEO, she commended the importance of hard work and taking chances. She rounded out her speech with ten life lessons for graduates to keep in mind, including “find your purpose,” “bring your full self to work,” and having a “founder’s mentality that embeds values early on.” 

Quoting Dr. Dre throughout her address as he looked on, Ishaq ended with a quote from IYA cofounder Jimmy Iovine:

“Everyone’s frightened. It’s how you deal with that fear. And what you’ve got to do is get it as a tailwind instead of a headwind. And once you do that, fear starts to excite you because you know that you are going to enter into something and try it and risk.” 

Sumit Chandra was elected undergraduate student speaker, making a full-circle moment shout-out to his cohort’s first day of college. Recalling the initially puzzling exercise of pitching a pet rock, he noted the practice’s significance and influence on the entirety of the IYA experience. The pet rock was a metaphor for so much more – a lesson on compelling storytelling, a symbol of collaboration and camaraderie, and a badge of courage in entrepreneurship and creativity. 

“This isn’t just a pet rock,” he said, holding up the artifact in question. “We got here to this pet rock, to this ceremony, because we never settled, so it would be a shame if we started to settle after this. Because of this pet rock we’re working at funded startups born out of GX that are due to change the face of entire industries. At dream jobs at the most lucrative companies in the world. But most importantly, because of this pet rock, I have an incredible group of people that I know I’ll have for the rest of my life.”

Brooke Ianni represented graduates earning their Master of Science in Product Innovation, conveying deep gratitude for the life-changing program and the supportive community she bonded with throughout her time there. 

“I’ve learned that success is not a solitary endeavor, it is about the people who are with us in both the greatest and hardest moments in our lives, the individuals who believe in us when we do not believe in ourselves, and the people in our lives who push us to be better,” she lauded. 

Graduate Danny Pugh, Master of Science in Integrated Design, Business and Technology, spoke about what sets IYA minds apart: “Powerful intellect paired with profound emotional awareness.” 

“We’re now part of a legacy of strategic thinkers and I’m so proud to know all of you,” he closed. “Thank you for making this experience so special.”

From the Dean’s declaration to Chandra’s rock recollection, one message was clear – IYA students are poised for a path that allows them to think beyond borders, shift the trajectory of entire industries, and make a dynamic difference. 

With stirring words to carry with them as they embark on a new and exciting chapter, graduates received their diplomas and exited the auditorium in the concluding processional. Of course, their day’s journey was not without a visit to the Bovard steps for more picture-perfect memories in the making. (Next stop: changing the world!).

“Try It and Risk”: IYA Commencement 2023 Empowers Graduates to Follow Their Dreams

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