Prestigious Schwarzman scholarship awarded to Trojan global health alumnus 

Justin Kawaguchi found a note from his younger self while sorting through some memories from his freshman year at USC. In one box was a brochure for Schwarzman Scholars, a highly selective scholarship offering students the opportunity to attend a fully funded one-year master’s program in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

On the pamphlet was a message — circled and starred for emphasis — “Really want to apply. Keep in back of mind.”

Eight years later, Kawaguchi has manifested those ambitions by earning a spot among the 2025–26 cohort of Schwarzman Scholars.  His studies will focus on health care innovation with an eye toward launching a career where he can make a large-scale difference by improving care systemically.
“It’s a big dream that’s now being realized,” a beaming Kawaguchi said.

Taking its inspiration from the Rhodes Scholarship program, Schwarzman Scholars launched in 2015 with the goal of nurturing an understanding of China and its culture among future leaders around the globe. This year, 150 Schwarzman Scholars from 38 countries were selected from a pool of nearly 5,000 applicants.

The foundation for Kawaguchi’s Schwarzman Scholar studies was set at USC, where he completed a progressive degree program with a bachelor’s in global health from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and a master’s in health administration from the USC Price School of Public Policy. For Kawaguchi, born and raised in Southern California, USC was a place close to home that served as his portal to the larger world.
“Some of the biggest draws of USC were its global perspective and community of scholars from around the world,” he said. “USC opened my eyes and broadened my perspective, and continuing that process has been a passion of mine ever since. Schwarzman Scholars is the next natural step.”

His undergraduate years included a summer research fellowship in Taiwan, assisting with investigations surrounding health equity, nutrition and aging. That glimpse into perspectives from another part of the world was illuminating in more ways than one.

“I got to see how valuable it is to understand Asian approaches to health care,” Kawaguchi said. “Western health care systems are very much oriented toward treating diseases, whereas Taiwan and other parts of East Asia are focused on disease prevention.

“The opportunity to expand my worldview was also crucial personally,” he continued. “After that summer, I knew I wanted more chances to live abroad, practicing the level of cultural respect and cultural communication that I knew was important to a future career with global impact.”

Following graduation, he picked up that thread through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program,a competitive travel award that enabled him to return to Taiwan for a year teaching English.

“It was really powerful to be placed in a setting that was a little bit uncomfortable,” he said. “I didn’t speak Mandarin before that, and I had never lived for that long outside of Southern California. It broadened my perspective further, and I’ll take the same mentality into the Schwarzman program — very much trying to be a sponge, learning as much as I can, in as many mediums as possible.”

Kawaguchi’s original interest in a health career was natural given the examples of those around him: his aunt, a pediatric surgeon; his mother, a public health professional; and his father, an optometrist. Their commitment to service inspired him, and he came to USC with the initial plan to prepare for medical school.

Outside of the classroom, he was an active volunteer and advocate in support of the local LGBTQIA+, Japanese-American, and Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. In his global health studies, he grew intrigued by the many connections linking health care and policy to other spheres, such as politics and international trade. Under the influence of that macro view, his career interests widened in scope.

“I saw so many avenues for impact, and the potential to create change on a systemic level,” Kawaguchi said. “My same underlying focus on helping people and improving health access has remained, but how I aim to accomplish that has transformed over the years.”

To pursue that purpose as a Schwarzman Scholar, he had to clear an intensive selection process that culminated with an interview opposite a panel including Fortune 500 executives and university presidents. Kawaguchi did so, while also maintaining the demanding schedule of his work as a management consultant, with some seasoned help. He credits USC Academic Honors and Fellowships for support throughout the process, including introductions to past scholars.

“That team is incredible, just tremendously helpful,” he said. “I would not have been selected for the Schwarzman Scholars program if not for the Trojan Family — the institution and the alumni.”

At Tsinghua University, Kawaguchi will explore health innovation in China, as well as the context, goals and logistics of the nation’s global health development programs. He’s particularly interested in the role that entrepreneurship and partnerships with the private sector can play in driving improvements in health and health equity. After his Schwarzman Scholars experience, he will pursue a degree from Harvard Business School.

“I hope that Schwarzman helps crystallize things for me,” he said. “I know what my high-level values are, and I want to work toward a vision for how I funnel that in the future. Then at business school, I can really accelerate toward that pathway. It’s daunting and open-ended, but exciting at the same time.”

Learn more about the global health degree and undergraduate education at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.