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Daily Trojan Online, USC, CA
Aug 26 2011
Q&A with alumnus Jerry Papazian
By Kristy Pyke · Daily Trojan
Jerry Papazian graduated in 1977 with a bachelor of arts degree in
economics and went on to earn his master of business administration
and law degree from UCLA. Papazian served as a member of the Board of
Trustees from 1994-1999 and as president of the Alumni Association
from 1995-1996. Papazian is currently the vice president of corporate
finance at Bear, Stearns & Co, Inc.
Daily Trojan: During your time at USC, how important were
extracurricular activities for you?
Jerry Papazian: While I was in school I was involved in student
government. I was a student senator. I was also chairman of Songfest
my senior year. I was very involved in my fraternity as well. There
are so many more things you can get involved in now then there were
when I attended USC.
DT: What was the most influential thing you did or learned at USC to
get you where you are today?
Papazian: Joan Schaefer, affectionately know as Dean Joan, was dean of
women. Dean Joan had an advisory role and she probably impacted my
life and the lives of thousands of USC students over the years. She
was a person who encouraged you to go out there and take full
advantage of university life, and to get to know faculty. She is still
alive and turning 90 next month. She still comes to the campus one day
a week.
In the fraternity, I learned to work with 70-80 guys. That was a good
experience for the business world. In student government, I learned
about politics. With songfest, I learned about how powerful
communication could be. It all paid off in life later on.
DT: Would you encourage students to take that same path and get
involved with things outside of academics?
Papazian: Now is the chance to learn and experiment and see what your
passions are. So get involved with as many things as you can handle
and look around and look in places where you wouldn't have looked
before. My favorite class ironically was an art history class I took
freshman year. Where did that come from, I have no idea? To this day,
it was my favorite course.
DT: I noticed you received your MBA from UCLA. How was that switch and
why did you decide to come back to USC since you are an alumnus of
both schools?
Papazian: People will tell you that your heart will always belong to
your undergraduate institution. That is true with me. I have been and
always will be a Trojan at heart.
DT: What has been your most fond memory of USC since graduating in 1977?
Papazian: Right after 1977, when I graduated, I never stopped. At age
40, I was selected to be president of the Alumni Association but then,
also as a result, I became a member of the Board of Trustees. That was
probably the most rewarding experience being able to give back to the
whole university like that as a trustee.
DT: What is one last piece of advice you would give to the current
students of USC?
Papazian: Go out there and get involved and learn about everything
that is out there while you are still young and have the opportunity.
You will start working and you will have less time to experience and
learn. I would trade it in a second to go back and be 20 years old
again and have all those opportunities.
DT: How are you currently involved in the school and what do you see
for your future?
Papazian: My primary role is on the Board of Counselors for the
College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. In that role I have been working
and continuing to work on scholarships for students. It is actually in
the name of Dean Joan Schaaffer. One big role is raising money for and
awarding scholarships to students in the college. I am also a member
of the leadership council for the Armenian Institute. In that I am
working with the Shoah Foundation to bring a collection of interviews
of survivors of the Armenian Genocide. The foundation was started by
Steven Spielberg. He founded it around 15 years ago and gave it to USC
to run recently. They have Holocaust survivors' interviews. I'm
working on bringing the Armenian Genocide to that space.
http://dailytrojan.com/2011/08/25/qa-with-alumnus-jerry-papazian/
Aug 26 2011
Q&A with alumnus Jerry Papazian
By Kristy Pyke · Daily Trojan
Jerry Papazian graduated in 1977 with a bachelor of arts degree in
economics and went on to earn his master of business administration
and law degree from UCLA. Papazian served as a member of the Board of
Trustees from 1994-1999 and as president of the Alumni Association
from 1995-1996. Papazian is currently the vice president of corporate
finance at Bear, Stearns & Co, Inc.
Daily Trojan: During your time at USC, how important were
extracurricular activities for you?
Jerry Papazian: While I was in school I was involved in student
government. I was a student senator. I was also chairman of Songfest
my senior year. I was very involved in my fraternity as well. There
are so many more things you can get involved in now then there were
when I attended USC.
DT: What was the most influential thing you did or learned at USC to
get you where you are today?
Papazian: Joan Schaefer, affectionately know as Dean Joan, was dean of
women. Dean Joan had an advisory role and she probably impacted my
life and the lives of thousands of USC students over the years. She
was a person who encouraged you to go out there and take full
advantage of university life, and to get to know faculty. She is still
alive and turning 90 next month. She still comes to the campus one day
a week.
In the fraternity, I learned to work with 70-80 guys. That was a good
experience for the business world. In student government, I learned
about politics. With songfest, I learned about how powerful
communication could be. It all paid off in life later on.
DT: Would you encourage students to take that same path and get
involved with things outside of academics?
Papazian: Now is the chance to learn and experiment and see what your
passions are. So get involved with as many things as you can handle
and look around and look in places where you wouldn't have looked
before. My favorite class ironically was an art history class I took
freshman year. Where did that come from, I have no idea? To this day,
it was my favorite course.
DT: I noticed you received your MBA from UCLA. How was that switch and
why did you decide to come back to USC since you are an alumnus of
both schools?
Papazian: People will tell you that your heart will always belong to
your undergraduate institution. That is true with me. I have been and
always will be a Trojan at heart.
DT: What has been your most fond memory of USC since graduating in 1977?
Papazian: Right after 1977, when I graduated, I never stopped. At age
40, I was selected to be president of the Alumni Association but then,
also as a result, I became a member of the Board of Trustees. That was
probably the most rewarding experience being able to give back to the
whole university like that as a trustee.
DT: What is one last piece of advice you would give to the current
students of USC?
Papazian: Go out there and get involved and learn about everything
that is out there while you are still young and have the opportunity.
You will start working and you will have less time to experience and
learn. I would trade it in a second to go back and be 20 years old
again and have all those opportunities.
DT: How are you currently involved in the school and what do you see
for your future?
Papazian: My primary role is on the Board of Counselors for the
College of Letters, Arts & Sciences. In that role I have been working
and continuing to work on scholarships for students. It is actually in
the name of Dean Joan Schaaffer. One big role is raising money for and
awarding scholarships to students in the college. I am also a member
of the leadership council for the Armenian Institute. In that I am
working with the Shoah Foundation to bring a collection of interviews
of survivors of the Armenian Genocide. The foundation was started by
Steven Spielberg. He founded it around 15 years ago and gave it to USC
to run recently. They have Holocaust survivors' interviews. I'm
working on bringing the Armenian Genocide to that space.
http://dailytrojan.com/2011/08/25/qa-with-alumnus-jerry-papazian/