The Jimmy Gauntt Memorial Award

The award is designed to recognize outstanding graduating seniors who have majored in English at USC and demonstrated an interest in the arts. It was founded in 2009 by Professor David Román, a Professor in the Departments of English and American Studies & Ethnicity, in honor of his former student, Jimmy Gauntt, who majored in English and died tragically in 2008. Please consider making a donation in support of USC’s multi-talented English majors.

News & Announcements

Eli Gruen

by Casey Gauntt

in 2022 Recipients

Eli Gruen with Prof David Roman, Jimmy Gauntt Memorial Award Dinner 2023
Photo by: Steve Cohn www.stevecohnphotography.com (310) 277-2054 © 2023

Jordan Bucknor

by Casey Gauntt

in 2022 Recipients

Major: English (Creative Writing)
Minor: Screenwriting

I am a LA born-and-bred writer. Reading was my first love and quickly became an obsession, so majoring in English never felt like a choice for me; I was stuffing 300-page books into my backpack in elementary and was publishing (honestly pretty bad) fanfiction all throughout middle school. I spent nearly all four years at USC writing for the student blog, Trojans 360. Through being a staff writer, I immersed myself in campus life in a way I normally wouldn’t as a commuter student. It pushed me to be a better and more involved student but also, after becoming a managing editor, pushed me to lead other students as well. I’m happy to say that even now, I’m still writing!

After graduating from USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences with a BA in creative writing and minor in screenwriting from the School of Cinematic Arts, I’ve found myself at a post-grad internship at Disney Branded Television helping develop scripted shows and writing comics at Webtoon Entertainment. Time is moving fast and I’m not sure where it will take me next – assistant desk at a Hollywood studio or a row of bookshelves in Barnes and Noble to pluck out my own publication.

Faith Florez

by Casey Gauntt 2022 Recipients

Major: Narrative StudiesMinor: American Studies and Ethnicity I was drawn to the University of Southern California and specifically to the Department of English because I was interested in studying literature in historical context. In my sophomore year, I switched over to an interdisciplinary program in the department known as narrative studies, which allowed me to […]

Read more →

Joseph Debaerien

by Casey Gauntt 2022 Recipients

Major: English Since I am a first-generation student, I applied to a generic list of “good schools” at my high school counselor’s direction. USC accepted me. I started at USC as a psychology major determined not to do anything creative, but changed majors as I finished my sophomore year during the COVID-19 pandemic and realized […]

Read more →

Dylan Goodale

by Casey Gauntt 2022 Recipients

Major: EnglishMinor: Philosophy2022 Jimmy Award Recipient I transferred to USC at twenty-nine years old. Prior to the pursuit of an education, I had travelled the world and competed as a professional surfer. I was drawn to the history, tradition and community aspect of the school, as I recognized the importance of creating lasting relationships: you […]

Read more →

Benjamin Parkhill

by Casey Gauntt 2022 Recipients

Major: Narrative StudiesMinor: LGBT Studies2022 Jimmy Award Recipient I used to be a professional child actor. I started doing theater in elementary school but transitioned into professional shows around Chicago starting in 5th grade. I quit right before high school. I chose USC to be a screenwriter. I love movies and film criticism, and the […]

Read more →

Lauryn Jones

by Casey Gauntt 2022 Recipients

Major: EnglishMinor: Songwriting2022 Jimmy Award Recipient I was drawn to USC because of the campus’ proximity to my extended family. Although I was born in Inglewood, CA, my family moved to rural Texas when I was young, and I often lost the ability to visit family due to financial struggles. My time at USC was […]

Read more →

Andrew Avalos

by Casey Gauntt 2023 Recipients

Majors: English (Creative Writing) and Spanish2023 Jimmy Award Recipient My interest in the literary arts has held for years, and upon entering college, I knew I wanted to invest my course of study in literature, so I majored in both creative writing and Spanish. I specialize in the short story and am continuously compelled by […]

Read more →

Enrique Martinez

by Casey Gauntt 2023 Recipients

During my first semester at USC, I took Playwriting I, an upper-division theatre elective and my first-ever Narrative Studies class. On the first day, our professor asked us to share why we wrote. When she said this, I immediately wanted to drop the course. I had never really written anything beyond the five-paragraph high school […]

Read more →

Rachel Cassar

by Casey Gauntt 2023 Recipients

Major: English (Creative Writing)Minors: Education and Society; Psychology2023 Jimmy Award Recipient My objective is to become an English Language Arts educator. Upon graduation from USC, I’ve been accepted at Stanford University to work towards completing a one-year dual credential and Masters of Education program. My desire to teach English stems from the ways my world […]

Read more →

← Previous Entries