Alumni Spotlight: Joy Ofodu
By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22
The first time I saw Joy Ofodu was the spring before I had even started my year at USC. It was during an organized student breakfast on Admitted Student Day and I, staying true to my oh-so-social nature, settled quietly in the back of the ballroom with my cold eggs and pastries. I didn’t know what kind of presentation to expect at a breakfast; no clue whether I’d actually pay attention or just keep moving around the cold eggs on my plate, but at some point during the program, Joy Ofodu approached the podium. She gave a speech, and for someone who had already been to about a billion other repetitive prospective student gatherings smushed into the month of April before Decision Day, it was refreshingly entertaining. Honestly, even the 10-second clip of it on her Instagram is worth checking out. But what I truly saw then — and what I’d like to share now — was someone who is passionate, driven, and genuinely inspiring in pursuit of their goals.
Keep reading for some highlights from my conversation with Joy:
Joy Ofodu received her B.A. in Communication (and Minor in Marketing and Spanish) at USC in 2018, but her accomplishments had been stacking way before then. Her years at USC were filled with red carpets and panel discussions. From the NAACP Image Awards to the LA Times — as a professional entertainment freelancer her work has been featured on a wide range of networks. Bay Area born and raised, this speaker, photographer, and writer now works as a marketing coordinator for Instagram and portraitist based out of San Francisco.
As a Trustee Renaissance Scholar, Communications Coordinator of the African American Cinema Society and at one point a Trojans 360 writer (yay!), Joy certainly did keep herself busy. With so many activities filling in her schedule, picking just one favorite is almost impossible — so she doesn’t! She shares tons: “staying up in the Birnkrant conference room with fellow Black RA’s, filling the long tables with Hawaiian food and truth and laughter. Or dancing at Midnight Breakfast!” She recounts how delighted she was to be able to present on “centuries-old Spanish feminism entirely in Spanish,” how happy she was running into and later befriending her “Welcome Week Crush (we all have one) over the course of four years,” and “as an alumni: sprinting into my friends’ arms during a PED step show and being lifted off the ground. It was my first time back since graduation, and I really needed that homecoming.”
Even in her less-than-favorite moments, she’s able to take home important lessons. When asked if there were anything she would have done differently at USC if given the opportunity she shared: “I would have listened to my body and truly prioritized my health over work, class, events, commitments, etc. That is the singular regret (but most valuable lesson) I have. People don’t talk about burnout because it’s embarrassing/difficult, but it’s absolutely preventable. I had a number of people looking out for me, advising me to put myself first. I can hear them loud and clear now. Nothing was worth sacrificing my health; I am so grateful to SC for giving me a safe place to fail repeatedly and figure it out.”
When asked how she was so successful right after college, she replied, “I’ve been working since age 15.” Joy’s got tenacity and as with any student attempting to be successful after graduating, knowing what’s going to fuel that tenacity or drive is extremely important. It powers your passions, reminds you of your goals, and picks you up when you’re feeling less-than-okay. For Joy, it’s her family, rescue dogs, the uncertainty of her future, and God’s design. She shares how she’s inspired by “the resilience, magic, and color of the Black Diaspora in the US” and “the potential of online communities.” Joy is clear in her mission to empower off and online communities. What every student, former and current should ask themselves in return is, “am I clear with my own?”
True to her message of empowerment, she offers advice to current students.
For soon-to-be graduates, Joy assures: “It’s okay to be nervous. Nothing prepares you for the conflicting feelings of freedom and displacement. Of melancholy and security. Of accomplishment and emptiness. It’s awesome and terrifying. This has been among the most difficult seasons of my life; it has been a season for crazy, unprecedented growth. My heart, knowledge, and strength have all been tested. I’ve had to come up with new rituals, outlooks, solutions, diversions — because I’m not the same person I was when I entered USC. I’m much more powerful and measured than I expected. So I’m getting to know myself. When the dust settles and you hear your adult voice clearly for the first time after graduating from USC, listen. Nourish you, record you, oblige you, feed you. And then figure out why you wake up every morning, and keep doing that.”
For aspiring creatives studying at USC, she encourages: “Leverage Los Angeles. I can’t think of a better place to create — it has such a history begging to be tapped, and a million collaborators-in-waiting. It’s much easier to get the resources and access you need to create as an innocent student than as a hungry adult. I promise. Put your work out there digitally and verbally, stay intellectually curious, and hold your creative aspirations as high as your career aspirations (if they aren’t linked). Make the best art of your life — there are no rules.” She also advocates the importance of the Trojan family, stating: “Support each other because you’re really all you have. Watching and working on each others’ films and tracks and sets and galleries is so much more fun than creating alone.”
I had no idea what to expect during that one breakfast more than a year ago and I’m still not 100% sure what to expect three years from now when I graduate myself, but with alumni like Joy sharing their story to inspire others, I at least know that I’ll have the support of my Trojan family.
If you want to read more about Joy Ofodu’s experience at USC, look no further than Trojans 360 itself! Joy aired her photography skills, school tips, and personal experiences for over a year. All photos used are from Joy Ofodu’s personal blog.
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