Held at Town & Gown, the annual event brought together scholarship recipients, donors, alumni and faculty for an evening dedicated to connection and appreciation. Photo/ChaChaStudio
As a student in Greece, USC Viterbi School of Engineering Dean Yannis C. Yortsos faced a defining choice: begin his career at home, or pursue a Ph.D. abroad — a path that depended entirely on financial support.
“I did not know the individuals behind that support,” he recalled. “But their belief in a student they would never meet changed the course of my life.”
Decades later, standing before a room of students and donors at USC Viterbi’s 2026 Scholarship and Fellowship Dinner, that experience served as a powerful reminder of what scholarships make possible.
Held at Town & Gown, the annual event brought together scholarship recipients, donors, alumni and faculty for an evening dedicated to connection and appreciation, and to the lasting impact of investing in students.
“Scholarships and fellowships are, at their core, acts of faith,” Yortsos said. “Faith that talent exists everywhere. That potential is worth investing in.”
Yortsos emphasized that while engineering is often defined by innovation and discovery, its true foundation lies in people, and the opportunities that allow them to grow.
“Education, in that sense, is a long-term investment in humanity,” he said.
Personal stories
Throughout the evening, student speakers brought those ideas to life through personal stories of resilience, ambition and gratitude.
Alexandra Somodi, a student studying computer engineering and pharmacology, reflected on how scholarship support has enabled her to explore a wide range of interests — from neuroimaging research to developing open-access curriculum and producing student-led musical theater.
“Because of your support, students like me are not confined to any one discipline — we are able to explore all of our passions fully throughout our time at USC,” she said.
She added that this support extends beyond academics, shaping how students think, lead and contribute.
“Your support allows me to focus not just on succeeding, but on making a difference — in my community, in my field, and hopefully someday, in people’s lives.”
“Your support allows me to focus not just on succeeding, but on making a difference.” — Alexandra Somodi.
Rami Seid, a computer science games major, shared a deeply personal story about how donor support helped him overcome an unexpected challenge that threatened his academic path.
“For a computer science student, losing the ability to comfortably look at a screen means losing the ability to do your work,” he said, describing an eye condition that made it difficult for him to continue coding.
“With the financial freedom I was given, I was able to get the treatment I needed,” he said. “You didn’t just help pay for my tuition. You quite literally saved my ability to code and stay in the major I love.”
Seid spoke about his goal to use game design as a medium for representation and storytelling, creating experiences that allow people to “step into someone else’s shoes.”
For donors in attendance, the evening offered a powerful reminder of the long arc of impact that begins with a single act of giving.
Alumnus and donor Robert Yowell reflected on his own journey from a childhood fascination with space to a decades-long career spanning NASA, SpaceX and the United States Space Force.
“I have been truly blessed in my 37-year career,” he said, noting how being “at the right place at the right time,” including at USC, helped shape his path.
Yowell credited both opportunity and mentorship for opening doors early in his career, including a connection that led to an interview at NASA while he was still a student.
Today, he gives back to ensure others have access to those same possibilities.
“I now have the ability to give back to this University which allowed me to fulfill my childhood dreams, allowing others the same opportunities I was given, if not more,” he said.
As conversations unfolded across the room, the evening underscored a shared understanding: that behind every scholarship is not just financial support, but belief: in potential, in possibility and in the people who will shape what comes next.
As Yortsos noted, that belief extends far beyond a single moment.
“When the scholarship recipients are touched by the support, they are also touched by the donor’s spirit… a spirit that will continue to help shape our humanity.”
As the evening came to a close, that sense of connection lingered, a reminder that the impact of generosity is both immediate and enduring, carried forward by the students whose lives it transforms.
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Published on April 14th, 2026
Last updated on April 20th, 2026