No life story runs smoothly all theway. You may hit speed bumps,potholes, and even dead endswhere <strong>you</strong> have to give up on onepath and choose another. But asa USC <strong>Upstate</strong> student, <strong>you</strong> willalways have the intellectual andpr<strong>of</strong>essional skills <strong>you</strong> need to landon <strong>you</strong>r feet as <strong>you</strong> navigate throughlife. The ideas, experiences andinspiration <strong>you</strong> need to make theright choices and find <strong>you</strong>r own wayin the world. And the rock-solidvalues <strong>you</strong> need to write <strong>you</strong>r owninspiring story <strong>of</strong> leadership andservice. If <strong>you</strong>r idea <strong>of</strong> college is anexperience that prepares <strong>you</strong> bothfor a rewarding career as well as ameaningful life, <strong>you</strong> belong here.A road less traveledMargarita Rodriguez prepares for her journey through life
““Maybe it’s the small class sizes and pr<strong>of</strong>essors who actually know <strong>you</strong>by name. Perhaps it’s because USC <strong>Upstate</strong> <strong>of</strong>fers the best <strong>of</strong> bothworlds—big opportunities, as well as a small, close-knit communitywhere <strong>you</strong> can actually take advantage <strong>of</strong> those opportunities. <strong>What</strong>everit is, this school has a distinctively warm, welcoming and inspiringpersonality that makes it a great place to prepare for the kind <strong>of</strong> careerand life <strong>you</strong> have imagined for <strong>you</strong>rself.”Margarita Rodriguez/ Information Management & Systems/ Health Information Management/ Greenville, <strong>South</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong>““I originally chose USC <strong>Upstate</strong>because it had the best nursingprogram among all the universitiesI had visited, and because the Dean<strong>of</strong> Nursing, other faculty membersand the students I met duringmy visit were incredibly friendlyand helpful,” says MargaritaRodriguez who was born inNew Jersey but later moved toGreenville, <strong>South</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong>, alongwith her family. “But shortlyafterwards, I decided to change mymajor to Information Management& Systems/ Health InformationManagement (IMS/HIM)—first,because it’s the only degreeprogram <strong>of</strong> its kind in <strong>South</strong><strong>Carolina</strong> and second becauseI already had a CMA (CertifiedManagement Accountant) degree,so a major designed to equip me forhealth-related management careersmade perfect sense.”“I am really happy with thedecision,” continues Margarita.“I’ve found the same level <strong>of</strong> supportfrom pr<strong>of</strong>essors that I had as anursing major. I have had as manyhands-on experiences and as muchaccess to advanced technologiesand facilities. But what really struckme about the whole experiencewas how painless and easy it wasto change course and choose adifferent road. For me, it kind <strong>of</strong>sums up what I like most aboutUSC <strong>Upstate</strong>.”More than 85 percent <strong>of</strong> ourgraduates go on to find successwithin the <strong>Upstate</strong>, servingtheir communities as dentists,nurses, teachers, businessand IT pr<strong>of</strong>essionals, artists,graphic designers, sociologists,scientists, and ethical leaders inalmost any field <strong>you</strong> can imagine.Nothing <strong>inspires</strong> a success story morethan other stories <strong>of</strong> success.Currently, there are more than 19,600successful USC <strong>Upstate</strong> graduatesliving, working, leading and servingwithin communities across the regionand around the globe.100 percent <strong>of</strong> USC <strong>Upstate</strong> nursinggraduates begin successful careerswithin three months <strong>of</strong> graduation.In recent years, our businessgraduates have scored at the 75thpercentile nationally in the MajorField Test in Business exit exam,provided by the Educational TestingService in Princeton, New Jersey, andlaunched successful careers at suchcompanies as Michelin, BMW, IBMand Lockheed Martin.Thanks to our close partnershipswith local school districts, almostall <strong>of</strong> our education majors gaincritical real-world experience, skillsand connections even before theygraduate.Stuck in the middle <strong>of</strong> <strong>you</strong>r story?Not for long. In addition to theguidance <strong>you</strong>’ll receive from the429 accomplished teachers wholead courses here, <strong>you</strong> will findextra support at every stage <strong>of</strong><strong>you</strong>r USC <strong>Upstate</strong> story.Anxious about making thetransition to college? We <strong>of</strong>fertwo pre-college programs foradmitted freshmen.Need help with a paper that’sdue? Head to the AcademicSupport Center or the WritingCenter.Need some fresh insight onpreparing for <strong>you</strong>r dreamcareer? Visit the Career Centerlocated within the StudentSuccess Center.