![\"Graduate](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6A7TVOJV45BSVG7BY5ZWZ3LX3M.jpg\")
Graduates make their way to be seated for the ceremony. (Photo by Aaron Ogawa) <\/p>\nUSC\u2019s 143rd commencement ceremony, held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, celebrated the Class of 2026, while also offering guidance for the next chapter of their lives. <\/p>\n
The Coliseum itself was packed, with approximately 46,000 friends and family in attendance. For the families of the graduates, it was a particularly momentous occasion. <\/p>\n
Mia Cornejo was excited to see her older brother, Marcos Cornejo, graduate with a business administration degree. <\/p>\n
\u201cSince he\u2019s first generation, we\u2019ve never seen someone graduate in our family,\u201d Mia said. \u201cSo I would say this is a very special moment for our family.\u201d <\/p>\n
The significance of the occasion was not lost on Marcos either.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel like there\u2019s a lot of pressure that comes with it,\u201d Marcos said. \u201cBut it\u2019s also a big achievement and it\u2019s something I\u2019m very proud of and it\u2019s going to stay with me for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Around the Coliseum, parents called to their children on the field and waved in the air, trying to get their attention before the ceremony began. <\/p>\n
Graduates make their way to be seated for the ceremony. (Photo by Aaron Ogawa) <\/p>\n
While the ceremony\u2019s production value was unmatched, the evening did have its occasional hiccups.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid it go on?\u201d USC President Beong-Soo Kim asked, referring to the Olympic torch behind him. It lit seconds later, interrupting his speech. <\/p>\n
This was Kim\u2019s first commencement speech since becoming USC president, something he worked into his speech early on.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do feel a very special connection to the Class of 2026,\u201d Kim said. \u201cNot just because I\u2019ve gotten to know so many of you, but because we\u2019re always going to have something in common. For most of you, this is your very first USC commencement. And as president, this is my very first commencement with you as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kim\u2019s speech was warm and optimistic, injected with humor and heart.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoing something for the first time can be exciting,\u201d Kim said. \u201cBut I have to admit that as I thought about what to say tonight, I\u2019ve also experienced some self-doubt. What could I tell you that you don\u2019t already know?\u201d<\/p>\n
That insight paved the way for the theme of Kim\u2019s speech: What\u2019s the difference between coming in first, and going first?<\/p>\n
First, Kim cited Allyson Felix\u2019s intention to return to Olympic competition in her 40s.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer goal is to become the first woman and mother in their 40s to win a track and field medal in the Olympic Games. Think about that,\u201d he said. \u201cHere is someone who has already secured her place among Olympic legends, who has nothing left to prove\u2026And why?…Because the goal isn\u2019t to win another medal, but to expand what\u2019s possible for herself and for mothers across the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kim also had praise for 2026 graduate Lucy Westlake, the youngest woman to summit all fifty U.S. peaks. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe great thing about going first is that you don\u2019t even have to wait until you\u2019ve reached the pinnacle of achievement, like Allyson [Felix],\u201d Kim said. \u201cA few years ago, a young woman made news for being the first woman to climb the highest mountain in all 50 states by the time she was only 17 years old. And the next year, she made news again as the youngest American woman to summit Mount Everest. What I love about this story is that it\u2019s not just pulled from a newspaper. It\u2019s the story of someone in the Coliseum tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kim wrapped his speech up by wishing the best for the first class to graduate during his tenure.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe at USC hope you come in first many times. We hope you win and win big. But there\u2019s something we wish for you even more than that,\u201d Kim said. \u201cNot just that you come in first, but that you\u2019re willing to go first by believing in yourself\u2026by carving your own path through uncertainty and doubt and by winning on your own terms, not those of someone else.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Graduation](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2JPGOZO2PRES3HWW5CTYQEVV6M.jpg\")
President Kim giving his first speech at commencement as president of USC. (Photo by Aaron Ogawa) <\/p>\n
In lieu of a valedictorian speech<\/a>, seniors in good academic standing are encouraged to apply to be the student commencement speaker. This year\u2019s student speaker was Annenberg\u2019s own Kash Amos.<\/a><\/p>\n Amos, the first Black man to deliver USC\u2019s student commencement speech, graduated with a communication degree and played defensive tackle for the USC football team. <\/p>\n Amos began quickly, with his insight on faith, followed by a laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I look back, I see God\u2019s hands in places I didn\u2019t understand at the time, shaping me through trials and tribulations that built who I am today,\u201d Amos said. \u201cI learned that your level of exposure will determine your level of success. And with me being so blessed and highly favored, President Kim, Provost, deans, senior leadership, the trustees, members of the audience\u2026Does anyone want to hire me?\u201d <\/p>\n The entire Coliseum erupted in laughter. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m serious,\u201d Amos followed up.<\/p>\n But he also delivered moments of reflection.<\/p>\n \u201cToday isn\u2019t about one story. It\u2019s about a collective becoming,\u201d Amos said. \u201cIf there\u2019s one theme that defines us, we didn\u2019t just survive USC. It became a testament to our legacy.\u201d<\/p>\n With his speech, Amos demonstrated his skills as a seasoned storyteller, using honesty and playfulness with moments of wisdom sprinkled between.<\/p>\n \u201cThe world we are walking into is not stable, but we are steady,\u201d he added, before taking a selfie with the Coliseum crowd behind him. <\/p>\n Amos also shouted out the veterans, transfers and international students in his graduating cohort.<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t the finish line. Transformation does not end with graduation,\u201d Amos said. \u201cRejection doesn\u2019t exist. Only redirection. Once you find your success, share it with as many as you can and your success will never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n Following Amos\u2019 speech, President Kim awarded three honorary degrees: Doctor of Humane Letters to author Joyce Carol Oates, Doctor of Science to geophysicist Maria McNutt and Doctor of Music to the night\u2019s keynote speaker, the music director and conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Gustavo Dudamel.<\/p>\n \u201cMusic, art and beauty are universal rights,\u201d Dudamel said. <\/p>\n His speech was rooted in his love of music and the importance of finding harmony in a noisy world.<\/p>\n \u201cTo create harmony, the essential thing is that we must listen to one another. It doesn\u2019t matter how immensely talented you are,\u201d Dudamel said. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t know how you feel, my dear friends, but I believe we all feel that we are living in a world full of noise, full of confusion, a world that never stops shouting. And in the middle of all that shouting, we begin to lose ourselves.\u201d <\/p>\n Dudamel went on to say that true harmony requires that one pauses and listens.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone wants to be heard, but no one is listening,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd without listening, hearing only our voices, other people around us begin to disappear.\u201d<\/p>\n Dudamel also spoke about the importance of diversity, as well as his connection to Los Angeles. <\/p>\n \u201cI am Venezuelan, I am Latino,\u201d he said to massive applause. \u201cI am very, very proud. I am also an Angeleno. And a Lakers fan.\u201d<\/p>\n By nightfall, many graduates and guests had grown restless, with some milling on the field and others chatting in the stands.<\/p>\n USC recaptured their attention in full with one final act: a drone show, which itself was capped off with fireworks.<\/p>\n The drones, glowing above the Coliseum, formed images, like Tommy Trojan driving his sword into the ground, as well as messages that simply read \u201cCongratulations, Class of 2026.\u201d <\/p>\n Many guests whipped their phones out to capture the spectacle. The fireworks provided a loud and colorful button on the evening. The newly minted alumni then rushed out to meet their families for hugs and photos.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was surreal, the experience was amazing,\u201d said computer science graduate Divya Rajput. \u201cAll the speeches and everything were really motivational\u2026it\u2019ll help us get forward to the next stage of our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Graduation](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/325OTDAZMJFU5BP442FRPWYLV4.jpg\")
A drone show at the end of commencement featuring USC imagery. (Photo by Aaron Ogawa) <\/p>\n![\"Graduation](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/2JLPIUFBVBBLZMI7RJTT7E6WCM.jpg\")
Fireworks launched after the drone show. (Photo by Aaron Ogawa) <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"USC\u2019s 143rd commencement ceremony, held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, celebrated the Class of 2026, while also…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":801789,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5123],"tags":[1582,276,223274,16303,94908,2961,224,5337,11016],"class_list":["post-801788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-ca","tag-california","tag-commencement","tag-graduation","tag-gustavo-dudamel","tag-la","tag-los-angeles","tag-losangeles","tag-usc"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116587239144081960","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=801788"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/801788\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/801789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=801788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=801788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=801788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}