USD Magazine Fall 2012

S OM E C A U S E H A P P I N E S S WH E R E V E R T H E Y G O .

CONTENTS

16 / TWO PLUS TWO There’s a common thread that weaves the stories of four distinctly different University of San Diego alumni together: One of the best ways to find fulfill- ment in work is to make it feel like play. Each of them has taken advantage of unexpected twists and turns in their life paths and wound up heading off in a surprising

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direction. The career of Tara Shiroff ‘02 has taken a dramatic twist that she never saw coming. Being famous isn’t the point for acclaimed TV actor Jim Parsons ’01 (MFA), who’s found his way back to one of his first true loves. Claudia Dominguez ’03 delved deep inside herself, and then took a leap of faith. And Kevin Petti ’06 (PhD) has created a niche that allows him to share his love for interconnection.

T H E B E S T O F U S I M P R O V E S W I T H A G E .

TORERO NOTES 26 / Serve Every Child Kathryn Ashworth ’81 (JD) is on a quest to help kids navigate more easily through San Diego’s foster care system. 30 / Endless Possibilities Jamal Al Sharif ’99 is helping Dubai become a major global player through his work at Dubai Studio City, which offers production services to film and TV companies around the world. 34 / Dulcet Tones Sacha Boutros ’02 has put her USD business education to work in an unexpected way: promoting herself as a jazz singer. 36 / Voice Over the Top Renowned actor Martin Sheen cements his longtime connection with USD by providing the voiceover for the university’s new “Changemaker” commercial.

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ALUmNI UPDATE 24 / Paying it Forward Major milestone reached as Alumni Endowed Scholarship Fund reaches landmark $1 million goal to benefit students.

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FALL 2012 3