USD Magazine Summer 2016

A D V O C A T I N G F O R P A R A L I Z E D V E T E R A N S .

CONTENTS

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13 / DREAMING BIG, WORKING HARD Without financial aid, Jasmine Garcia ’17 says that she wouldn’t be the first in her family to graduate from college. She credits her Presidential Scholarship — supplement- ed by financial aid and an 11-hour-a-week campus job — for making her collegiate success possible.

14 / GIVING VOICE TO THE VOICELESS Sherman Gillums ’09 (MSGL) is empowering those in need. He advocates on behalf of paralyzed military veterans who suffered injuries during active duty or after personnel leave the service. He helps these vets navigate challenging terrain for those grappling with a new reality. Those who know him well say he thinks through complex problems to come up with unique solutions and approaches.

G O I N G F A R B E Y O N D O N E ’ S U S U A L R O U T I N E C A N B E L I F E - C H A N G I N G .

CLASS NOTES 18 / The Long View

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Chris Yanov ’03 (MA) parlayed a jackpot he won on Wheel of Fortune as a grad student into Reality Changers, which is literally transforming lives. 27 / Living La Dolce Vita Joy Brunetti ’01 reflects on her time with USD students in Italy during January 2016 Intersession. 30 / Ready to Do Good Things Glenn White ’78 established an endowment to honor his beloved USD professor, Francis Wilson ’62. 32 / President for a Day On April 12, 2016, junior Will Tate was selected to trade places for a day with USD President James T. Harris III, DEd.

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CAMPAIGN SPOTL IGHT 17 / Outside the Box The power of the humani- ties in a holistic sense is at the core of what inspires Carol Vassiliadis. Her most recent gift benefits USD’s new Humanities Center.

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SPRING 2016 3