Justin Wilson MFA ’98
Senior Associate Dean, Advancement
USC School of Cinematic Arts
Justin Wilson MFA ’98 graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) with a screenwriting degree that led to a long stint as a film and TV writer/producer. But as we all know, Hollywood is no synonym for stability, so at the same time, Justin sought out and landed a job back at SCA as a fundraiser. After a number of years, his “day job” won out.
“Advancement was certainly not my intended career path,” he says. “But I came to realize that not only did I like fundraising, but my SCA education was directly related to my success at it. I still find myself scripting and producing interactions with donors using many of the same tools I learned at SCA. I’ll never forget my first day of film school when my Directing Actors class professor told us that ‘whatever you do, don’t forget who’s #1 on the call sheet!’ The same applies to your prospects.”
This advice has stood Justin in good stead; he’s now the senior associate dean for advancement at SCA. He oversees a relatively small but efficient group of development professionals who manage everything from alumni and corporate relations to annual giving and parent programs.
Now in his 26th year in USC Advancement (“I started at age ten,” he jokes), Justin held several other positions at SCA before becoming the school’s chief development officer. “I’ve witnessed and been a part of many wonderful changes at USC and SCA that have been a direct result of our Advancement efforts,” Justin says. “I am truly grateful every day when I step onto campus and see the value of our collective work.”
He’s also grateful for the “SCA legends” who have mentored him. Number one on that call sheet is Dean Elizabeth Daley, whom Justin calls “an incredible leader who inspires me while keeping all of us at SCA focused on the future while remembering our history.” And he credits his predecessors, Marlene Loadvine and Bhanu Cruz, as well as too-many-to-mention faculty, staff, students and alums, for having been “critical to my advancement in Advancement.”
Acknowledging his own role as a mentor, Justin suggests that it’s important to “know what your ‘why’ is—why do you want to do this particular job? That answer will guide you as you move forward. Build relationships among all the constituent groups you interact with, while maintaining a genuine curiosity about the role that others play on campus. And finally, remember to be patient. Sometimes the grass can seem greener elsewhere, but if you continue to develop your skills and be the best you can be at your job, you’ll discover new opportunities for a more fulfilling professional pathway. Overall, I attribute my own success at SCA to longevity and consistency.”
When not “on set,” so to speak, Justin’s usually home watching movies and TV shows—after all, it’s part of his job to “compulsively read credits to ensure that all USC alumni are properly recognized!” Otherwise, he loves to exercise, listen to audiobooks, follow sports—Dodgers, Lakers, Trojans—and travel with his family.