On a balmy September evening a little over a month into the 2023-2024 school year, dozens of students from all across USC’s campus descended on Iovine and Young Hall for a celebration of 10 Years of IYA. The lively event featured food, drinks, laughs, and plenty of #FightOn-adorned selfies, bringing together a coterie of eager innovators on a collective mission: fostering the creative spirit of their vibrant student community.

OK, a USC Iovine and Young Academy student organization, is the architect behind this dynamic student-driven event – one of many the group hopes to host in the future. OK is the brainchild of its founder, IYA junior James Wang, whose lofty ambitions of cultivating a creative incubator within USC have turned into a coruscating reality. What began as a way to unite students has turned into a thriving inter-academic ecosystem of budding visionaries and creatives (and self-proclaimed non-creatives alike) encouraging and showcasing their imaginative ideas and artistic aspirations. 

“I think the best way to describe it really is the way we view it is to be an incubator for interdisciplinary collaboration across the entire campus,” Wang explains of OK’s purpose. 

Wang compares the organization to creative agencies serving clients, where the talent should come first. 

“For us, the talent really is the students,” he elaborates. “We make sure that we can fundraise for their projects, but also provide a space to amplify them, make connections, and really do anything we can to support them.” 

Wang’s inspiration for OK comes directly from IYA’s culture of intersectional learning and creating. How could that mindset be applied to a far-reaching student organization that welcomes a multifaceted set of students, from Econ majors to sculptors? Can the Academy spirit transcend the Academy?

“[There was this] idea that the [OK] space could be something that really embraces people rather than dividing them into silos, that was really catalyzing. When we were thinking about the clubs and organizations, just things outside the classroom that cater towards that ethos, we saw that the options are pretty limited,” Wang says of OK’s beginnings last year. 

After guidance from advisors and three student information sessions, OK was able to gauge resources, opportunity, and what would resonate with club members. Once people started signing up, it became clear that the organization was providing tangible avenues for students to discover a channel for self-expression and a place to pursue their passion projects, despite their degrees or history. 

Wang recalls one Marshall student who had never worked on a large-scale physical project. During her semester at OK, she fabricated a bioluminescent table in the makerspace. 

“I remember at the end of the semester she came up to us and she said in that final session, ‘I didn't think I could do any of this. And I didn't know that. Sure, I didn't have the background and the existing experience, but the fact that I could turn some idea, something I could touch and feel a connection to was really powerful.’” 

Kate Nguyen, a junior studying public relations, echoes that sentiment. She defines OK as “safe space that facilitates creative exploration in ways I could’ve only dreamed of as a kid."

OK, which also includes founding team members and senior vice presidents Noy Chatoyan and Ry Hermann of cohort 8, believes that creative generation should be accessible to all students, which is why they don’t charge membership dues. Since its inception, the organization has presented a large-scale Creative Festival exhibiting student projects. Other initiatives included a Women in Tech Panel with a Notion Product Designer and a Project Management Workshop featuring Jessica Ko, the CEO of Playbook.com and Agnes and Anthony, a creative duo who works with Hermes. September’s 10 Years of IYA is just the latest event dedicated to championing student-led endeavors. 

Junior Makayla Oas, pursuing a BS in Business Administration, proclaims:

"OK has honestly become my favorite experience I’ve had at USC. I think it made me realize that I am capable of pursuing any venture that I hope for, no matter my experience or academic background. I got to pitch a project that I had wanted to do for so long, but never even imagined it becoming a reality. I grew a strong relationship with my amazing team, everyone was so talented in their own ways, and our ideas fed off of each other. I am so thankful for how much OK has opened my eyes to creativity, design, and inspiring friends!" 

With 31 current partners actively working on projects and five board members managing the organization, OK is devoted to recruiting a diverse population of curious minds, making sure to focus on the “less-obvious” members who don’t come from traditionally creative backgrounds. Wang also notes that the club is committed to keeping its finger on the pulse of student wishes and imperatives in order to create meaningful experiences that reflect the Academy identity. Research and constant check-ins with students (“it should be a consensus-built organization,” Wang notes) is the key to lasting impact. And if the testimonials from existing members are any indication, OK has been built – and continues to build – to last. 

“I think the best way to describe it really is the way we view it is to be an incubator for interdisciplinary collaboration across the entire campus,” James Wang explains of OK’s purpose. 

Everything Will Be ‘OK’: Student Organization Promotes Community and Creativity