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

Laura Wencel

by Casey Gauntt 2023 Recipients

Major:  English (Creative Writing); Communication 2023 Jimmy Award Recipient Studying English (creative writing) at USC was transformative. My professors tore down the walls I built up against a career in academia, encouraging me with positive feedback to continue exploring my interests and pour myself into my writing as much as I could. The dreaded expectation […]

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Anthony Alyassi

by Casey Gauntt 2023 Recipients

Major: EnglishMinors: Cinematic Arts; Screenwriting2023 Jimmy Award Recipient Though my freshman-self imagined it would never happen, my time at USC comes to a close and thus I look back with fondness over how I spent my years at the esteemed university. Not only have I taken classes from world-renowned professors on a variety of topics, […]

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Tinna Flores

by Casey Gauntt 2023 Recipients

Majors: Narrative Studies; Literary Editing & Publishing2023 Jimmy Award Recipient Graduating from USC felt like an impossible dream to me. I am profoundly grateful to have had the opportunity to study under such a distinguished faculty and staff and to learn alongside so many talented students. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in narrative studies, which […]

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The 2023 Jimmy Award Recipients Announced and Celebrated on Campus

by Casey Gauntt 2023 Recipients

On Monday evening May 1, the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the English Department hosted the 14th annual James Gauntt Memorial Award dinner. “The Jimmy” was bestowed upon six outstanding graduating seniors majoring in English, Creative Writing or Narrative Studies. Also in attendance to receive his Jimmy awarded […]

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The 2022 Jimmy Award Recipients are Announced and Celebrated

by Casey Gauntt 2022 Recipients

On Monday evening May 9, the USC English Department hosted the 13th annual James Gauntt Memorial Award dinner and bestowed “the Jimmy” to seven more outstanding graduating seniors majoring in English, Creative Writing or Narrative Studies. After two years of suspending the dinner because of the pandemic, this year the celebration was held on campus […]

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MICHELLE WONG

by Casey Gauntt 2021 Recipients

I’ve always loved puzzles: I can happily spend hours on crosswords, logic games, pattern problems, or riddles, because a stubborn part of me believes that for every problem, there exists an elegant solution. Looking back at my time at USC, I’ve come to think of every English class I’ve taken, every book I’ve read, and […]

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ISAIAS UGGETTI ERAZO

by Casey Gauntt 2021 Recipients

I heard a fellow English student describe the atmosphere of the English department by remarking that nearly every professor leaves their door wide open even when they are working. The message they send is clear: They are eager to get to know students, to guide and help them. I was one who took advantage of those […]

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RYAN NHU

by Casey Gauntt 2021 Recipients

I didn’t enter USC as a creative writing major. Hell, during my first semester, I figured that whatever philosophical or literary exploration I’d be embarking upon during my undergraduate career would be in service of what my parents (and many, many others, I’d wager to say) would call a “practical career,” or what universities across […]

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MAXIMILIAN ENGEL

by Casey Gauntt 2021 Recipients

I started at USC as a Philosophy, Politics, and Law major who didn’t know how to read. While I could follow a narrative, I was never pushed to jump into the hidden oceans of meaning that lie just beneath the surface of every text. I first took the plunge in Professor Heather James’ Thematic Option […]

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RACHEL COPE

by Casey Gauntt 2021 Recipients

I first fell in love with writing in kindergarten when my poem “My Perfect Day” won a Beanie Baby and a trip to the zoo. The love affair continued through my time at USC, where I majored in Creative Writing and continued on to a progressive master’s degree in Literary Editing and Publishing. My time […]

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