Southern California has an incredible amount of talent ready to meet the demands of the tech revolution. USC is ready to show them the way.
Kathy and Richard Leventhal invest in President Carol Folt’s vision
When USC Trustee Kathy Leventhal and her husband, Richard, heard President Carol Folt’s vision for the High-Tech Scholars program, they quickly shared their desire to support the program.
The couple is backing High-Tech Scholars through a $4 million gift. The program will support underserved community college transfer students studying computing and technology at USC. The program is critical to Frontiers of Computing, USC’s largest-ever academic initiative, which includes the launch of the USC School of Advanced Computing.
“Richard and I are honored to invest in a program that is central to President Folt’s Frontiers of Computing moonshot and one that will change the lives of so many young people,” Kathy Leventhal said. “We look forward to seeing how this program grows in the coming years.”
Leventhal understands what USC means to students. It all began the moment her son saw the Trojan Marching Band during a campus visit and immediately wanted to attend USC.
“He had such a positive experience, and then as soon as he got to USC, my daughter was rabid about getting in and going to USC, too,” she said.
The Leventhals have volunteered with several USC programs, noting the importance of supporting higher education. “Our legacy is improving the lives of young people by exposing them to experiences and opportunities at a remarkable school where their lives can be forever enhanced,” she said.
Oscar and Cathy Munoz uplift and support first-generation students
USC Trustee Oscar Munoz is the first to admit his journey—from Mexican immigrant to first-generation college student to leader of the world’s largest airline—is an unlikely one.
The former CEO and Chairman of United Airlines is dedicated to making sure stories like his are the rule rather than the exception.
Munoz and his wife, Cathy, recently committed a significant gift to support students—especially Latinos—in the new USC High-Tech Scholars Program, which will provide financial support, mentoring, networking opportunities, and internships.
“Envelope-pushing technology, such as AI, is something that must be understood and mastered by every young person who wants to help shape and share in the future,” Munoz said. “If we’re going to lift communities around us, then what better way than to educate them where the jobs are going to be, so they can create value not only for themselves but for the world at large.”
A USC Marshall School of Business alumnus, Munoz was the first in a family of nine to go to college. A high school guidance counselor helped him apply, and supportive friends convinced him he belonged and fostered what Munoz calls “a duty to care.”
A heart attack 38 days into his tenure as CEO at United Airlines and subsequent transplant surgery strengthened his resolve to help others. After retiring, he and Cathy created the foundation Pave It Forward, which raises scholarship funds for first-generation students.
