What started out as a curious journey across the hall at Leavey Library turned into one of Marina Kay’s most passionate endeavors at USC.

Kay, currently a senior international relations major, was working on USC’s Interlibrary Loan & Document Delivery team at Leavey Library in summer 2014 when she became curious about one particular office that she always passed by in the library – USC Shoah Foundation. She had always been interested in learning about the Holocaust, so one day she decided to go inside, and asked if she could intern or volunteer.

She met with Director of Administration Ari Zev, whose passion for USC Shoah Foundation and its history was inspirational to Kay.

“I was really struck by what a good and sincere cause it was, and how Ari was very sincere and passionate about what he does,” Kay said.

She began interning with the communications office, editing testimony clips for the Institute’s website, including one project to select and edit dozens of clips for a special series for the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, 70 Days of Testimony.

Kay said it was shocking at first to watch testimony and hear the stories of survivors. But there are perks to working at USC Shoah Foundation: After she watched Dario Gabbai’s testimony, Kay was amazed to come into the office the next day and see Dario himself.

“He was so sweet and easy to talk to. It was a really important moment for me,” Kay said. “Testimony became reality.”

Kay made an even more personal connection to testimony when she discovered the testimony of her grandmother’s longtime neighbor in the Visual History Archive. She and her family had always known the neighbors were Holocaust survivors but never knew their full story; after watching the testimony and showing it to her grandmother, Kay said it was gratifying for all of them to finally know what their good friends had gone through. Kay even made a short film about it for the Student Voices video competition.

 This year, Kay is taking her passion for USC Shoah Foundation to new heights. She is president of DEFY, USC Shoah Foundation’s student association, and is planning several events this year to introduce the Institute, its mission and testimony to students across campus. One event already in the works is a poetry reading by survivor Celina Biniaz, and Kay hopes to also organize an event on refugees.

Many students aren’t aware of USC Shoah Foundation or its resources, and Kay wants to change that. The Institute is a “hidden treasure,” on campus, she said, and its testimonies have applications to current events and other issues that students can relate to.

“You’ll never know someone unless you understand them, and that goes for the person sitting next to you in class, a refugee, or a survivor,” Kay said. “We have an opportunity as students to use evidence to create positive change and spread tolerance and understanding.”