Campbell Mattix

As I entered my junior year, I began to feel the immense pressure of landing the internship of my dreams. I thought to myself: this is going to be the first step to making my family proud and paying off my loans. The previous summer I worked at my friend's automotive shop. I ran the front desk and tried to get my hands on as much Human Resources experience as possible to pad my weak resume. I was hungry for more. Looking back, I kick myself because if I had known about USC's career placement website, maybe I would have worked somewhere larger and landed my dream position at Disney this summer. Hearing that you just don't have enough experience is one of the most disheartening pieces of news that an ambitious young adult could hear. I was lucky enough to still earn the opportunity to do HR at a 5,000 person law firm in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles this summer. But what if they had picked someone else? This has renewed my hope of fulfilling my dreams after graduation...

As students near the end of their education, they begin to look for potential careers. And it is a well-known fact that those with prestigious internships have a much higher likelihood of landing a high paying position than those without key resume-builders. That is why I would like to create an operation that is similar to an employment agency. We would focus on placing less privileged youth with companies looking for paid interns. I want to connect employers with young talent who have the personality traits and ambitions that make them great candidates even if they lack the experience or privileges that typically would earn them such an opportunity. For example, a young adult who had to complete their Work Study on-campus at the bookstore the first few years of college could work as an accounting intern at a reputable and socially responsible organization that will compliment her accounting major. Another person who could quality is a young adult with a great personality and a p...

For this post, I'm going to write down tips and ideas-- from A to Z-- that have had a large impact on forming who I am today. A: Always brush your teeth before bed. B: Befriend the people who sit alone. C: Care for your pets like you would for your child. D: Don't care too much about what other people think. E: Eat your vegetables. F: Forget about your failures; embrace your successes. G: Go for your top choice because if you don't try you will always fail. H: Have a piece of pizza when you're craving a piece of pizza. I: If you don't do it now then you're going to have to do it later. J: "Jokes" are not always funny. K: Kick your bad habits while you're young. L: Love you who love, and don't be embarrassed. M: Make sure that your weaknesses are not fatal, but focus on improving your strengths. N: No one determines how successful you'll be except for yourself. O: One bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. P: People are ...

This book was interesting for me because I felt a wide range of emotions from frustration to admiration. Having been in both the upper and lower groups that he talks to throughout the book, I had an interesting insight regarding his activism. I liked that Collins addressed most of the emotions that I felt because he knew his audience well. On the other hand, it was difficult reading this book because it obviously came from a very one-sided perspective. But as I read more, I began to appreciate Collins' points. I especially enjoyed reading about the difference between charity and change. In the past, I have had extensive conversations about this topic. Charity is often incorrectly defined, and it seems to be a massive issue socially and politically. Collins explained that "too much of the money that passes through the charitable industrial complex is given to reinforce the elite status and privilege interests of the giver, failing to address fundamental problems" (pg. 10...

As my dad and I cross the same street for the second time, we finally find the place we've been searching for. I see a street with half of the buildings nearly abandoned and rooms lit with modern interiors and bustling bodies.  As fate would have it, the first exhibit that we entered turned out to be the most intense and uncomfortable.  Immediately smelling like weed, I am standing next to my father looking at penises, breasts, drugs, and my beloved Mickey Mouse memorabilia being worn by the most miserable looking characters. Although I felt immensely out of my element- and like I didn't belong whatsoever- I wanted to look at every piece and embrace my reactions. Yes it was awkward looking at these images with my dad, but in an odd way it was comforting to have someone who has seen dozens of art shows in his life to go on this journey with me. Eventually, we stumbled upon the Coagula Curatorial. And once I peeked in, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was gr...

I'm going to vent for a moment, so strap yourself in. Last week one of my professors asked me what organizations I'm a part of. Embarrassment coursed through my gut. I realized that I was currently not a part of any organizations and felt like I was missing out. My next feeling was frustration. How could I possibly do more? School is not just school when you have student loans as large and overwhelming as the skyscrapers in Los Angeles. Suddenly every grade becomes twice as worrisome because if I don’t get a great job I may be living a life in the red. By adding honors to my degree, both within USC and my major, you would think my nausea would subside. Well, as it turns out, taking on these extra labels means you actually have to work a whole lot more. This means adding thousands of pages of reading to each month and the constant reminder that you’re not going to be done until you graduate in a few years. This feeling is intensified by the constant search for inter...