Residents are invited to hear Valeria Shpak, a Ukranian refugee living in the San Gabriel Valley, speak about “Ukraine: Yesterday and Today — Future Needs Armor” at a USC Trojan Affiliates meeting on Thursday, Feb. 1.
The event will be held at a private home in San Marino, with social time beginning at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m.
Shpak was born and grew up in Sevastopol, a city in Crimea, the peninsula in the south of Ukraine, which has been occupied by Russia since 2014. She was forced to move from her home at that time. Shpak earned university degrees in technology and acting, and was successfully pursuing her acting career when, again in 2022, she was forced to flee her home with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
USC Trojan Affiliates, a women’s organization located in the San Gabriel Valley, supports the University of Southern California and welcomes all interested women to attend its meetings and events. All women who are parents, alumni and friends of USC are encouraged to attend. Gentlemen are also invited to attend the meeting.
The group usually meets five times a year at San Gabriel Valley homes, and also hosts additional social and cultural events to raise scholarship funds for USC students. It currently supports 10 students who attended area high schools. The application deadline for the 2024-25 year is Feb. 1, and additional information is available via email at scholarships@alumnicenter.usc.edu.
USC Trojan Affiliates is in its eighth year of contributing to its first scholarship endowment fund of more than $100,000, using these dollars to support its scholars. Money is also raised from selling unique USC products — jewelry, scarves, clothing, tablecloths, aprons, handmade signs and more. Members volunteer at the Pasadena Showcase House as well to earn funds and participate in the USC Day of SCervice, USC Homecoming, Town and Gown of USC Boutique, Swim With Mike, Trojan Affiliates Holiday Boutique and other programs to support the university and its students.
Anyone who has an interest in being a speaker at an upcoming Trojan Affiliates meeting may contact program chair Marlene Evans at mevans@coldwellbanker.com.
Trojan Affiliates Co-Presidents Edie Etmekjian and Ayuko Siegel look forward to welcoming prospective members to this meeting. For information, reservations and the location for the meeting, contact Sarah Sismondo by Jan. 30 at sisarah@verizon.net or (626) 303-7284.
First published in the Jan. 11 issue of the San Marino Tribune
