USC Students Win $5K Helping Riverside Connect Jobs to Workers

Four USC students turned classroom learning into real-world impact and walked away with first place at the Sunstone Economic Development Challenge.

Hilda Aguilar-Jurado, Vanessa Bautista, Oscar Cisco, and Montserrat Pineda from the USC Price School of Public Policy partnered with the City of Riverside to tackle a problem affecting communities nationwide: local workers lack the skills that local employers desperately need.

The team didn't just theorize from their desks. They launched surveys with Riverside businesses to understand exactly what skills the healthcare and biotechnology sectors were missing.

"The most effective economic development strategies make sure that the people already in the community are positioned to benefit from the opportunities their city brings in," said Oscar Cisco, a Master of Public Administration student. "That's what we focused on with this project – connecting residents to the growth happening around them."

Their winning recommendations centered on creating a coordinated workforce development system. Instead of scattershot training programs, they proposed connecting employers directly with education providers and community organizations to build clear pathways into high-demand careers.

The team also suggested policies to reduce barriers for businesses trying to expand in Riverside, creating more opportunities for residents to fill.

The Ripple Effect

This challenge represents something bigger than one competition. The Sunstone Economic Development Challenge exists because a Southern California investment firm invested $162,500 over five years to give students hands-on experience solving real municipal problems.

For team lead Aguilar-Jurado, the project proved that rigorous research and community collaboration can produce actionable solutions. Bautista learned to think beyond academic exercises and ground recommendations in hard data that city officials can actually use.

"I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to gain real-world experience in the field of economic development," said Montserrat Pineda. "My teammates and I were able to draw on what we've learned both in the classroom and throughout our careers to develop a proposal focused on building up a resilient community."

The partnership between USC's City/County Management Fellowship and Sunstone Management gives future public servants the chance to practice solving the exact challenges they'll face in their careers while still in graduate school.

Riverside gets fresh ideas grounded in current research, students gain portfolio-worthy experience, and the competition creates a model other cities and universities can follow.

Four students proved that investing in local workers isn't just good policy – it's the foundation for communities where growth benefits everyone already living there.