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Class of 2026: Spotlight on student commencement speakers

Caitlin Cummings (JD), Sophia Encinas (JD), Lori Gaboudian (BS) and Ellen Hoang (LLM-PLCS) reflect on their academic journeys and share messages of inspiration with fellow graduates

July 13, 2026 By USC Gould School of Law
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Lori Gaboudian

Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies
Life-Long Learner in Legal Education Award Recipient

What’s Next:
Will join USC Gould’s new JD class this fall

Soundbite from Her Speech:
“The belief placed in us must become the belief we extend to others. The rigor that challenged us must become our unwavering standard. The clarity we developed must steady us in uncertainty. The leadership we witnessed must become our willingness to step forward. And the vision we cultivated here must drive us to create possibilities wherever we go.” (Watch video)

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Sophia Encinas

Juris Doctor
3L Class President

What’s Next:
Will join Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP’s business trials practice group in Los Angeles

Soundbite from Her Speech:
“If our incredible class has proven anything, it’s that success doesn’t have to come at the expense of kindness and community. So today, as we celebrate everything we’ve accomplished, I hope we also carry forward what made this experience so very special: not only what we achieved, but how we achieved it.” (Watch video)

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Caitlin Cummings

Juris Doctor
Student Bar Association President

What’s Next:
Will join Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP’s San Francisco office as a Labor and Employment associate

Soundbite from Her Speech:
“I am honored to be a member of this graduating class. I am eternally grateful to have had the opportunity to exist in the same rooms as you all. I cannot wait to see what you all do in this profession, but more importantly, I cannot wait to see the people who you become. Go be extraordinary.” (Watch video)

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Ellen Hoang

LLM in Privacy Law and Cybersecurity
Graduate and International Programs (G&IP) Ceremony Student Speaker

What’s Next:
Preparing for licensure and working at the intersection of law, AI and emergent technology reshaping the privacy industry

Soundbite from Her Speech:
“We all arrived here with different passports, different resumes, and different endgames. But something common runs through all of it: the Trojan values of being faithful, scholarly, skillful, courageous, and ambitious . . . USC Gould did not just identify those values in us as applicants, but refined them in us as students.” (Watch video)

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