Earlier this week, President Nikias and first lady Niki Nikias joined Chairman of the Board of Trustees John Mork and his wife Julie, to celebrate the first graduating class of Mork Family Scholars. The 19 graduates come from a broad range of disciplines encompassing the arts, sciences and engineering. Many attended the celebratory dinner with their parents.
In his remarks, President Nikias congratulated the scholars and paid tribute to the Morks—John and Julie, and their children, Allison and Kyle. “The Morks are a family that strongly believes in the important work that we are doing,” Nikias said. “They believe, from the depths of their hearts, in the power of education to transform lives. And they have made it their family’s mission to see that the most talented and deserving students have an opportunity to earn a world-class education at a world-class university.”
USC Mork Scholarships are awarded to undergraduates based on academic merit. The scholarships include full tuition and a living stipend of $5,000 annually for four years, as well as guaranteed space in the honors residential college. The USC Mork Family Scholars program was created in 2011 with an exceptional gift of $110 million from John and Julie Mork.