USC Annenberg awarded doctoral, master's and bachelor's degrees to more than 700 graduates on May 11 at the 2007 commencement ceremonies on a picture-perfect sunny morning. Award-winning Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez (pictured, above left) and former President and CEO of Lifetime Entertainment Services Carole Black (below, right) headlined the School of Journalism and School of Communication ceremonies, respectively.
"This field has never been more wide open that it is right now," Lopez said. "We're in the midst of a revolution, and your youth, energy and tech savvy will give you more options than I ever had. And for those of you who want to be serious journalists, rather than write about Paris Hilton — like I did last week — there's never been a more important time to do good work."
Lopez's speech, often filled with self-deprecating humor, drew many laughs. Black's address gave students career advice, including how to choose their first job and later know when it's time to move on.
"To do a good job you have to love what you're doing," she said. "I chose the job that sounded the most interesting, not the one that paid the most. Never, never, never take a job just for the money or title. In three months, the excitement will wear off and you are stuck getting up every morning to do something you don't want to do."
Class of 2007 communication graduate Emma Lee (bottom, left), who delivered the undergraduate speech to the School of Communication, reflected on her experience as a USC Annenberg student.
"I think that as we leave here today, it is important to reflect on just what a valuable experience our time here at Annenberg has been," Lee said. "We now leave this School not only with various degrees, but we leave with a better understanding of communication and how to use our knowledge in effective and meaningful ways. But more importantly, I believe that we can see that the greatest value of our experience here lies in what we have learned about ourselves and the world around us — furthermore, we are all also very fortunate in that this is a place that we can always return to so that these experiences can always continue."
Lopez told the School of Journalism students that their opportunities are endless.
"Everyone I went to college with who was dead-set on a job in journalism got one," he said. "They didn't all hit the big time right away like I did — covering little league and adult recreation softball in Davis, California — but they found a way in and they worked their way up from there or died trying, and every one of you can do the same."
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