What do an Olympic Gold Medalist, a paleontologist and a cookbook author all have in common?
They’re all graduates of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and part of the inaugural USC Dornsife 10 to Watch list, which spotlights outstanding recent alumni whose accomplishments reflect the value and versatility of a USC Dornsife education.
“The liberal arts are an incredible vehicle for success. They teach you how to think critically, communicate powerfully, and adapt quickly in a changing world,” says USC Dornsife Dean James Bullock. “That’s why so many USC Dornsife alumni are thriving and leading today.”
All Credit to Troy
Although their career fields vary widely, all 10 to Watch honorees say that USC Dornsife was an important launchpad.
Yasmeen Serhan ’16 graduated with a degree in international relations and is a digital features editor at Reuters, overseeing recurring series on global news and culture, sports and AI. She credits USC Dornsife with helping her acquire the skills necessary for a career covering foreign relations.
“In addition to majoring in international relations, I minored in French and took classes studying Arabic and journalism,” she says. “What I appreciate most about my USC education is how multifaceted it was.”
For Kaitlin Mogentale ’15, a unit on U.S. agriculture in her “Intro to Environmental Studies (ENST 100)” class not only changed what she ate but also inspired the focus of her later career. “I went from being a Midwestern, meat-and-potatoes eater to a full-fledged vegan by the end of freshman year. The class sparked a deeper reflection on how our personal choices align with our values,” she says.
Shortly after graduating with her degree in environmental studies, she launched Pulp Pantry, one of the first businesses to turn food scraps into snacks, and nabbed an investment from Mark Cuban on Shark Tank. She’s since launched another snack business, Trashy, along with Scrapi, which connects those with excess food to those who can put it to use. Mogentale is also the head of business development at Divert, which works to prevent food waste.
Other 10 to Watch honorees cite the personal connections established at USC as being pivotal to their success.
During his senior year majoring in economics at USC Dornsife, Owen Han ’20 started a pop-up supper club for his friends. After graduation, his roommate and USC Marshall School of Business alumnus Hwoo Lee ’19 encouraged him to parlay his enthusiasm for food into a career. “Honestly, if it weren’t for Lee, whom I met at USC, I probably wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now,” says Han.
Han now has millions of followers across his social media platforms, cooks with celebrity chefs like Gordon Ramsey and recently published a cookbook, Stacked.
Nominate a Trojan to 10 to Watch
The annual USC Dornsife 10 to Watch list recognizes outstanding undergraduate and graduate alumni of the College from the past decade. Nominations for the 2027 list are now open. For current students who hope to one day make the list, this year’s 10 to Watch have a little advice.
“The Trojan Family is very real, so make the most of it! And read your school paper,” says Serhan.
“Take advantage of all USC has to offer. Go to campus events and meet people. The genuine bond you create with fellow Trojans sticks with you well beyond your college years,” says Tommy Brooksbank ’18, a news producer at ABC News who earned a political science degree at USC Dornsife and a degree in broadcast and digital journalism from USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
“Find a good support network, whether it be friends, peers, or professors. USC has no shortage of incredible people. And explore Los Angeles! Tap into your interests that L.A. undoubtedly serves in some way. It’s an incredible city,” says assistant professor at Rutgers University Kiersten Formoso ’23, who earned her PhD in geological sciences.