After thriving in a high school tech program that introduced him to coding, entrepreneurship, and design thinking, Anthony Ramirez-Garcia was destined to shine at USC Iovine and Young Academy. The IYA senior is all about giving back to his community as a leader and innovator, devoting himself to ventures that enhance education and create impact. When he's not community organizing, you can find him meditating or marching (in USC's Trojan Marching Band, that is.) Ramirez-Garcia exemplifies taking a chance and finding yourself in the process -- he now leads the band's tenor saxophones after joining with little musical experience. As he prepares for graduation, Ramirez-Garcia is reflecting on his time at IYA and the enriching experiences he's learned from along the way.

Tell us a little bit about your journey to the Academy.

My journey to the Academy starts from an amazing program that introduced the world of entrepreneurship and technology to me since high school called TXT: Teens Exploring Technology. I distinctly remember TXT coming to my high school in freshman year talking about Flappy Bird and asking who wants to make the next million dollar venture. I soon joined their Summer Coding Leadership Academy where I was able to learn the basics of design thinking, entrepreneurship, startup venture, and community-oriented programming.

This program was my first introduction to USC Iovine and Young Academy. The first time I walked into their amazing workspace, that was when I knew I would go on to challenge myself and absorb as much learning as I could. I would soon work on my first startup venture that would address accessibility of sexual health education for youth in my community. I would go on after this experience to stay close to TXT and continuously develop myself as a leader and as a community organizer, closely preparing myself to then apply to IYA.

What piece of advice have you implemented in your day-to-day life?

I write in a journal! One of my mentors showed me the power of journaling and self-reflection to the point where I now have three types of notebooks that allow me to think in different ways. I have a daily journal that I write short affirmations and goal-setting for the day and week, a bullet journal for notes, reflections and reminders, and a sketchbook that I use to brainstorm ideas and doodle. I consider myself a very visual person, so having these books with me help me create outlets for myself when I want to be creative or when I want to record lessons I’ve learned. I would highly recommend it!

Do you have a role model? Why do you look up to them?

A role model I have is my dad. He is someone who I look up to because of his strong determination and humility. The love and care I give my friends and loved ones are a reflection of the care he and my family has provided me. I take this level of care and attentiveness into the communities I take part in.

Describe one thing most people don’t know about you.

One thing that most people don’t know about me is that I do guided meditations. Since high school I was introduced to meditation and found Headspace as an app to consistently practice. I listened to their sessions so much that I was able to replicate the guidance for middle school students. Over quarantine I made a short series of quick guided meditations called “Meditation with Anthony” on Spotify.

What is the biggest risk you have taken, and was the result what you wished for?

You miss the shots you don’t take. It isn’t the biggest risk I have taken, but I remember reaching out to a guest speaker for one of my classes. The guest was Elyse Klaidman and the startup was X in a Box, a startup that brings world-class learning to youth from professionals in different industries. The result I was wishing for was to be part of the team and in reaching out I was invited to join and start working on their amazing projects.

What would you say is your defining achievement thus far?

A defining achievement I hold very closely is seeing the Iovine and Young Center impacting the community with enriching education. During my freshman year, I was part of the foundational research team that would create documents and curriculum that was the beginning high school. Being from the community, this was an opportunity to bring my experiences of education to guide and direct effective ways to impact youth. That was four years ago and now seeing it manifest is a type of fulfillment that is hard to put into words.

A piece of advice I would give to a freshman is to constantly push yourself out of your comfort zone. There are multiple ways to define what is your comfort zone whether it is projects, content, food or meeting new people. For me, I joined USC’s Trojan Marching Band with little to no musical experience. I went on to join the tenor saxophones where I met amazing people and had the opportunity to perform at various sporting events. Joining the TMB has helped me conquer my imposter syndrome and fully accept my space in SC. I would go on to then lead the tenor saxophones during my senior year, giving back to a community that has done so much for me. Now what I am not saying is that the marching band is the only place to grow (even though you can grow and love the marching band), but this is an example of what the benefit of trying something new can do.

How have you evolved over the past four years?

At the beginning of undergrad I was searching for the best job or career. As I progressed, I understood the benefit of having communities that empower you and motivate you to find what you are passionate about. Communities like SparkSC and Trojan Knights have given me enriching experiences that aided me in my journey and in continuous self-discovery.

I do plan to work on my Garage Experience project, AltEd after graduating so I am currently looking for community spaces and fellowships that can support my work. I also plan to work with my father’s house-painting business using my knowledge from IYA, to grow and establish a name for it. With my previous product design experience, I do plan to find more work and take a part-time role.

What inspires me is my peers. Within my cohort there are so many creators and visionaries, and I can learn from every single one of them. Hearing their passion and dreams about things they want to achieve helps me find that same drive for things in my life. I am confident that I will always walk away motivated or inspired by my cohort members even through the shortest conversations.

What do you like to watch, read, or do in your free time?

In my free time I watch an incredible amount of YouTube. Some channels I subscribed to are Game Theory, Schaffrillas Production, Noahj456 and VGBootCamp. I usually like reading entrepreneurial books so I am currently reading Good to Great and Doing Good Better. In my other free time I play Smash Brothers Ultimate, League of Legends, and Call of Duty.

My favorite class at USC is IYA’s Innovators Forum, a class that focuses on bringing in a wide range of professionals and giving you the opportunity to pitch different ideas to them. Being able to communicate with such amazing professionals on a week-by-week basis has helped me at an early stage in my undergrad.

My favorite hidden gem of LA is a restaurant called Dinos. It’s a burger and chicken place that I have been going to since middle school. It is near a series of Hispanic-owned mom-and-pop shops that I frequent, along with my personal barber across the restaurant. I would definitely get their chicken plate if you get the chance.

Senior Spotlight: Anthony Ramirez-Garcia