The University announced Meghan Anand, a senior majoring in business administration, as the student commencement speaker for the 2025 graduating class on Monday.

This is the first year the University has had a student commencement speaker, replacing the traditional valedictorian speech. Last year, the University barred valedictorian Asna Tabassum from speaking at commencement, citing unspecified safety concerns. USC made national headlines for its decision, and Associate Senior Vice President of Safety and Risk Assurance Erroll Southers said there was an “unprecedented number of people expressing grievances” should Tabassum give a speech. Over 50 student organizations wrote a letter protesting the decision and hundreds marched to “Let Asna Speak.”

The Daily Trojan and Annenberg Media sat down with Anand to discuss how she feels about the new position, her message to students and what her future will entail. 

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The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Annenberg Media: Without giving away your speech, what is your message to your graduating class?

Meghan Anand: My primary theme throughout the speech is focused on community. I feel like a lot of us have very lofty goals and a lot of different things that we want to do, and so we always look to vertically network. We look at people with our dream job, and we reach out to them and have all these coffee chats, but oftentimes we forget to just talk to the person sitting next to us. 

Daily Trojan: Do you remember how you found out you were going to be the speaker and where you were? 

MA: I remember hanging out with one of my friends at [Tutor Campus Center] and getting an email that I was going to get a phone call the next day, [so] I kind of had a feeling, but I waited. The next morning, [I] went about my day, worked out, did my normal stuff, called my mom and then I got the phone call. It just felt like a huge relief, and it also just didn’t feel real at the time. It’s still slowly kicking in. 

I’m trying to stay present, with graduation coming up, and taking every day day by day. It was definitely a nice feeling. I’m feeling really grateful, especially just because so many professors and my peers have really [supported] me at USC, so this really feels like a testament to them as well.

AM: This year, the University opted for a different process in selecting a student speaker, the first year [the speaker is not] a valedictorian. Do you feel any pressure or expectations, given last year’s removal of the student valedictorian speaker?

MA: I’m honestly feeling super grateful right now and just focused on the present. There’s a lot of things that can be out of your control, but right now I’m just feeling very grateful and excited to be giving this speech this year. 

DT: Do you have anything to say to people who might be critics of the change made this year?

MA: I honestly can’t really speak to other people’s perspectives that much. I can only control my own words and my own actions, so obviously, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

AM: How are you preparing to give this big speech?

MA: I feel like the nerves will definitely hit me closer to the big day, maybe in the hours leading up. But I feel like you get opportunities that you’ve prepared for.

Having the support of my classmates, my family, just the USC community, I’m just excited to give the message and [am] taking it all hour by hour. I’m not trying to think too far ahead; I don’t want to get nervous or anything.

DT: Do you have any advice that you’d give to students who would want to be where you are now?

MA: Say yes to everything. I feel like I came to USC with a relatively closed mind, and I followed a very strict schedule my first year of college, where I was just focused on getting the perfect GPA, building my resume. And then I met different people, joined different clubs that encouraged me to really open my eyes more, expand my perspective, meet new people, and new opportunities just came with that. 

I would just tell everyone to say yes. Don’t be afraid to do something outside of your comfort zone. You never know who you’ll meet or the lessons you’ll learn.

AM: How does your identity fit into who you are as a person and who you are on this campus?

MA: I think being a college student is my primary identity.

There’s some people in my global strategy class that are from Italy, Bulgaria [and] so many different countries — 70% of that class is international. And the one thing that we can all bond over is being a college student. So I think in today’s world, it’s just so important to really appreciate what can really connect all of us.

DT: What does the future look like for you?

MA: I’ll be working for PwC as a management consultant. Currently, [I’m] studying for the LSAT. Hopefully I’ll be in law school, and in one or two years, go[ing] into law.

Long term, I just want to be able to build a foundation that’s able to give back to all the organizations, people and communities that have poured into me as well, [in] help[ing] me get to where I am and where I’m going.

AM: How do you define your graduating class? What makes your graduating class stand out [compared] to the ones before and the ones that will come after?

MA: All of us are very resilient and optimistic. Obviously, I’ve switched from Dornsife [College of Letters, Arts and Sciences] to Marshall [School of Business], and one thing that’s remained consistent is, in both schools, I see people going into entrepreneurship. They have a dream and they just chase it. Our class is very bold. They’re not afraid to go after what they want, and they’re so willing to work hard. And it’s been so inspiring to just work alongside such incredible individuals and classmates that I was able to learn from and really be exposed to this diversity of intellectual pursuits. 

DT: How did your parents react?

MA: They were really proud. It still doesn’t feel super real. It’s obviously getting more real, but I think they were just kind of shocked. But also, your parents are always going to say, “I believe in you.” They definitely believed in me. I just feel so grateful. I think it’s still hitting them. My mom was really proud in the moment. She was like, “Wow. I couldn’t even sleep, I just couldn’t believe it.”

DT: Is there anything else you’d like to say to us?

MA: The main thing that I want most people to take away is just to never get bogged down by any obstacle you might face. If you just put in an honest effort and really stick to your authentic self, everything will always work out for you, no matter what. 

And then, once you make it, once you feel like you’ve accomplished something that you were really working toward, just don’t forget to give back to your community and really pour into the people that poured into you, because I think that’s really important. 

And always reach out to your Trojan Family. We take for granted all the amazing things that alumni of this University can do for us and help us along the way. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a fellow Trojan.