Team Emu

Team members: Lola Thomas, Mia Braufman, Eleanor Qi, Jesse Reynoso, and Kai Madrill

Teens under academic pressure infographic

Our infographic, “Teens Under Academic Pressure,” visualizes the serious mental health effects of academic stress on high school students, especially those striving to get into top colleges. The layout uses clear sections to guide the viewer’s eye from data to sources. We chose varying shades of green for the color palette. Green symbolizes growth but also stress, mirroring the dual pressure and ambition teens feel. Bold graphics and icons, like upward arrows, emphasize rising stress levels, while the inclusion of California’s map localizes the issue to USC, showing that 45% of Los Angeles teens report sadness tied to academic performance. Additionally, the bar graph reinforces how even high-achieving students can feel overwhelmed. Sourced entirely from the American Psychological Association, our infographic offers reliable data to highlight how academic pressure is more than just an individual struggle — it’s a growing societal issue. Our goal is that this information can inform and validate, and that it encourages teen change makers, and even school administrators, to adapt mental health programming to better protect teens under high stress.

Halfway to campus: International students affected by Trump administration immigration policies podcast

This podcast was made by USC AYA students from the year of 2025, where a recent policy has been raised by the Trump Administration regarding revocations of student visas from international students who intend or are already studying in the United States. Specifically for international students from Harvard University, one of the most prestigious institutions in the world, they were asked to either transfer to a different school or return to their home country, or else their student visa status would be invalidated. This policy infuriated many, not just students who dreamt of coming to the United States to pursue an education, but others who see this policy as a target. Our podcast addresses the details that were just released about this policy as well as opinions from students. With this project, we aim to inform everyone about the importance of inclusion of the international student community and affirming international students to not be afraid to seek assistance.