University Southern California Trojans
Trojan Outreach Athlete of the Month - Samer Dhillon
February 12, 2016 | Trojan Outreach
When people told him he was too young for such ambitious goals, 20-year-old Samer Dhillon excelled and accomplished what many thought would have taken a lifetime.
It was announced Tuesday (Feb. 9) that the USC junior forward was named to the 2016 Allstate NABC Good Works Team. Five Division I men's basketball players were selected to receive this prestigious community service award which recognizes a distinguished group of student-athletes who have demonstrated a commitment to enriching the lives of others and contributing to the greater good in their communities.
"This award means the world to me," said Dhillon, the only junior selected. "I really enjoy working in the community and being able to use what I have learned here at USC to give back to those around me. This is a great honor."
Dhillon and the other members of the Good Works Team will be recognized during the 2016 NABC Convention and at the 2016 NCAA Men's Final Four in Houston, Texas, and will also participate in a local community service project to benefit the host city of Houston.
When looking back on his community outreach experience with the USC men's basketball team, he recalled a visit to an elementary school in Watts during his freshman year. "They were so appreciative of the small things we did for them--these small things that count," Dhillon said. "We have the opportunity with where we are right now as USC athletes and it's great to give back to these kids."
Dhillon, a Human Biology major and a Business Entrepreneurship minor with a 3.67 GPA, is also a two-time winner of the Dr. James H. Zumberge Academic Award given to the USC basketball player with the top GPA on the team.
He is already putting the skills he is learning to good work. Currently, he is doing Alzheimer's research for the Department of Neuroscience at the Keck School of Medicine and is the founder of Deep Roots Foundation, a nonprofit foundation he started as a way to give back to where he came from.
"The mission with this foundation is to help empower, inspire and educate youth to excel in the classroom, athletics and community giving," Dhillon said.
Dhillon is also the co-founder of the first-ever USC mobile clinic to provide free health exams and diagnosis in the greater Los Angeles area and is the CEO of Quest Investment Firm, an investment advisory firm based in Los Angeles. He remains actively involved in the programs the USC men's basketball team has worked with like A Better L.A., The Neighborhood Academic Initiative, the L.A. Mission and YMCA L.A.
With all he has accomplished, Dhillon is nowhere near done as he looks to continue his community impact with the Deep Roots Foundation, further expand his business, and ultimately attend medical school to become a neurosurgeon.
