Under clear spring skies, a new generation of storytellers and changemakers took their final bow as students of the USC School of Dramatic Arts. Friday’s ceremony honored the Class of 2025 with moments of inspiration, reflection, and celebration befitting their transformative educational journey.
The milestone event brought together a record attendance of proud supporters who witnessed 152 undergraduate and 12 graduate students receive their hard-earned degrees. These artists, having honed their craft through years of dedication and growth, now prepare to carry their unique voices into an industry eager for authentic storytelling and bold creativity.
Award-winning actor and SDA alumnus McKinley Belcher III (MFA ‘10) delivered a powerful commencement address that resonated with the graduating class. Known for his standout performances in Erik, Zero Day and Ozark, Belcher drew on his years of experience in the industry to encourage young Trojans to embrace their roles as the next generation of storytellers and changemakers.
“Storytelling can be incredibly powerful,” Belcher said. “We are the keepers of history, of a kind of cultural and social consciousness. And we also have the power through the stories we tell, to project where we can be, to speak for those who would be erased, to challenge, to remind, to uplift, to honor, to reflect.”
He encouraged the graduates to not be discouraged when they encounter failure, and to practice being their authentic selves, even when the world makes it hard to do so.
“We need each and every one of you, to show us what you see, what you feel, what you want, and who you are,” he said.
Among the student speakers, a sense of hope and purpose for students graduating into an uncertain world pervaded. BA speaker Rafi Pérez encouraged her fellow graduates to use the power of art and storytelling to stand up for the vulnerable.
“We are dedicated to a life of creativity and storytelling. There is not a price tag in the world that can accurately capture how our stories can change perspectives, relationships, lives,” said Pérez. “Let’s go into the industry and change some minds.”
This sentiment of using their art as a catalyst for change echoed throughout the student addresses, reflecting on the class’s shared commitment to purpose-driven creativity.
BFA speaker Lexey Glouberman issued a “call to arms” to the young artists graduating with her, imploring them to use the power of art and storytelling to affect the world for good.
“I know first-hand what this group of artists is capable of, and it’s the very thing the world is lacking right now – unwavering commitment to empathy and humanity,” Glouberman said. “That is where our power lies.”
MFA speaker Briana James declared that what would differentiate the USC School of Dramatic Arts Class of 2025 would not be measured in success or accolades, but in the spirit of service and generosity they would take into the world. James encouraged her fellow graduates to not only seek success in the industry, but to ask themselves what they could do for others along the way.
“There will be hundreds if not thousands of well-trained artists walking out of graduation ceremonies this month, asking the question ‘What can I get?’,” she said. “Instead, I invite us to start the next phase of our journey by asking, ‘How can I give?’”
“I invite us to craft a different legacy: one of a powerful, silly, unstoppable, playful, resilient group of artists, who went racing toward the industry to find out what they could give.”
The ceremony was followed by a reception in Queen’s Court and the Bing Theatre, where friends and family continued to celebrate the graduates’ remarkable achievements. The USC School of Dramatic Arts Class of 2025 looked to their future careers as artists, professionals, multihyphenates and changemakers, eager to use what they’ve learned at the School to make their mark on the world.
“Families, if you didn’t already know, this remarkable group graduating today is a highly committed, wildly talented community of multi-hyphenated artists and creative entrepreneurs,” said SDA Dean Emily Roxworthy. “It has been a delight to watch you work, and I know we will enjoy watching you spread your wings as you enter the professional world.”
Belcher closed his commencement address with an appeal to the importance of community and the enduring strength of the Trojan Family. He encouraged students to look around to their fellow graduates, and to find comfort, camaraderie and support in the friends and classmates who would accompany them on their journeys. While the road ahead would certainly be filled with moments of ecstatic success and moments of useful failure, Belcher encouraged graduates to lean on their fellow Trojans for community in both good times and bad.
“We’re looking at the next generation of actors, directors, filmmakers, playwrights, stage managers, dramaturgs, and some journeys we haven’t even imagined yet,” he said. “You will be important to each others’ journeys. So lean on each other, challenge each other, and rise together in excellence.”
“I’m proud of you and I can’t wait to see the ruckus you make,” he laughed. “Fight on!”
Watch the ceremony