Good afternoon! Congratulations to all of our graduates. We hope you enjoy the summer break.

In this special edition of The Price Post, the chair of the National Endowment for the Arts – our commencement speak and a Price School alum – explains how the arts can uplift communities. We also profile a few of our outstanding graduates and share photos from the 2024 Commencement ceremony.

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Want to see more photos? View hundreds of pictures from the event at the USC Price School’s Flickr page here and here.

And check out more pictures of our graduates and award winners on the USC Price School’s Instagram page.

Maria Rosario Jackson, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), was the keynote speaker at the 2024 Commencement ceremony for the USC Price School.

• Jackson, who earned a Master of Public Administration from the USC Price School in 1989, made history as the first African American and the first Mexican American woman to serve as chair of the NEA.

In her speech, Jackson discussed her career in public service, explained how the arts can uplift communities, and told graduates to seize the opportunity to tackle some of our nation’s most urgent challenges.

• In her words: “This is a time to lay the foundation of the next version of our society,” Jackson told graduates. “You have gained tools, developed skills, and are prepared to make a difference. You are the next generation of civic leaders and problem solvers.”

Watch her full speech in the video above and read her prepared remarks.

Phong Doozy shows up to work in an unusual uniform: a sleeveless Hawaiian blazer full of flamingos, pink pig ears, shorts covered in flowers, and a red clown’s nose.

• As a medical clown, the Master of Health Administration uses laughter as medicine, putting smiles on the faces of those facing serious injuries or illnesses.
  
  
• His performances help doctors treat patients, too. In one instance, Doozy pretended to ride a rollercoaster with a child with severe burns covering more than half of his body. That helped doctors get the boy to lift his arms so they could apply ointment.

In his words: “We have to initiate ideas to allow kids to enter the world of play and willingly help themselves and help the doctors provide the best care to their ability,” Doozy said.

Comedy has long been a big part of Doozy’s life. As a caretaker for his grandparents, he noticed his grandmother’s cognitive functions improve when they watched funny TV shows together.

• “When I first started sharing laughter therapy with others, I thought deeply about what comedy meant to me. I asked myself: ‘Is she a universal language? Is she a caring soul? Is she a medicine?’” Doozy said. “I couldn’t tell you what comedy is to anyone else, but to me, she is all of the above.”

Read more about Doozy.

Ever since she was seven years old, Keshia Albrecht seemed destined to work in real estate.

• Growing up in the Florida panhandle, Albrecht remembers “For Sale” signs sparking her curiosity as she wondered who was buying and selling the vacant swamp lands. When she grew older, she became interested in architecture.

Yet Albrecht, now 38, initially built a successful career repairing planes for the U.S. Air Force. It wasn’t until a medical condition cut that career short that she returned to her childhood passion – and ultimately enrolled in the USC Price School.

• Now, Albrecht is looking forward to beginning a new career after earning a Bachelor of Science in Real Estate Development. She’ll work for Berkadia, a joint venture of Berkshire Hathaway and Jefferies Financial Group, analyzing U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) projects.

In her words: “Price allowed me to open my eyes,” Albrecht said. “With real estate development being in the policy school, it allowed me to understand the relationship between real estate development, how we develop, what we’re developing, and how that impacts the community as a whole.”

Read more about Albrecht.

The U.S, government’s plan to combat climate change largely hinges on phasing out gas powered vehicles – with transportation making up the largest source of U.S. climate emissions.

• But one major obstacle is convincing consumers to buy electric vehicles (EVs). The average purchase price for EVs was roughly $53,500 in 2023 – according to Kelley Blue Book – a price tag that’s too expensive for many consumers. (Federal rebates can significantly lower costs for some EVs.)

Enter Dylan Qichen Di, a Master of Urban Planning graduate. He has a big idea to solve the electric car cost problem: mini EVs.

• The compact cars – comparable to the size of a golf cart – have lower sales prices and can be charged at home, making them an affordable option to improve EV adoption, according to a study Di conducted.

In his words: “We don’t want to have traditional gas-powered cars, but we don’t have enough cheap, accessible EV models,” Di said. “If our current technologies are not strong enough to support large-scale cars at a lower price, then maybe it’s time for us to think about smaller cars.”

Read more about Di.

Keaton Dickinson, this year’s USC Price School valedictorian, is motivated by personal experience to create change in the world.

• After an armed robber ran through her high school, she started a Students Demand Action chapter and testified before Washington state lawmakers, who ultimately passed a gun safety bill she supported.

   

• “It was very meaningful to be able to take a negative experience and turn it into something positive that will hopefully help people for generations in Washington state,” Dickinson said.

   

• When she later witnessed Los Angeles’ homelessness crisis, she decided to add a minor in Real Estate Development and worked on housing projects that serve low-income and vulnerable populations.

Dickinson, who will earn a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy, delivered a speech during the Commencement ceremony.

You can watch her full speech here and read more about Dickinson.

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