Like a lot of high school students, William Durban wasn’t sure what he wanted to do with his life. But he did know that we wanted to be a leader.
His talent for physics served him well after he came to USC to simultaneously pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electronic engineering, which he completed in only four years through a progressive degree at the Viterbi School of Engineering.
But his leadership training came through the Naval ROTC program, hosted by the USC Price School of Public Policy.
“I wanted to have as much responsibility as I could … and I think the ROTC program at USC really helped me build a base to do that,” Durban said.
USC launched its support of America’s military in 1914, when it opened a training school for U.S. Army officers. It began hosting the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) in the 1940s. Its graduates include highly decorated military and civilian leaders – including four-star generals, astronauts, Medal of Honor recipients, and officials in the highest levels of government service.
“It is our honor to be the academic home of the USC ROTC programs,” said Frank Zerunyan, Professor of Practice at the USC Price School and Director of the ROTC and Nautical Science Programs. “I am always in awe of our ROTC students. Their commitment to serve our country is inspiring.”
Durban said his most influential mentor at USC was Col. Gil Juarez, of the U.S. Marine Corps., who served as the Commanding Officer of the Naval ROTC programs at USC and UCLA from 2021 to 2024.
“He was the ideal of what a military officer is supposed to be,” Durban said. “He cared more deeply than anyone I have ever met.”
Durban got his wish to lead at an early age. Now an ensign in the U.S. Navy, Durban is stationed in Rota, Spain, where he’s assigned to an Aegis guided-missile destroyer.
Durban begins his day as early as 3 a.m., when he “stands watch” for six hours, which means he’s in charge of the ship’s daily operations and safety. He is also the officer in charge of 30 crew members who control the ship’s engines and generators, and he takes his turn piloting the 510-foot 9,100-ton vessel.
He is 23.
“I wanted to have as much responsibility as I could … and I think the ROTC program at USC really helped me build a base to do that.”
William Durban
Col. Juarez said Durban had the three key ingredients necessary for exemplary leadership: integrity, competence and caring.
“Will treated Naval ROTC training like it was a real unit,” Juarez said. “He was completely invested in the mission, making midshipmen better. As an individual and as the commanding officer of the unit, Will selflessly maximized every leadership experience with the aim of giving every Navy and Maine Corps officer the skills to lead people well. His commitment, performance, and humility were why we made him the battalion commander.”
Durban graduated from USC in May 2024 and was on his way to his ship in the fall when a fellow alumnus introduced him to a former Secretary of the Navy.
It would have been an honor under any circumstance for a young naval officer, but this one held special significance: Former Navy Secretary Paul Ignatius, whom Durban met at his home in Georgetown, was a fellow Trojan.
And the ship to which Durban would soon be assigned was the USS Paul Ignatius. Ignatius was commissioned as a Navy officer in 1942 and served as Secretary of the Navy from 1967 to 1969 under President Lyndon Johnson.
“He was telling me stories from when he was my age over 80 years ago like it was yesterday,” Durban said of Ignatius. “It’s very rare you’re going to meet a World War II veteran alone, but he had done so much.”
Ignatius, who earned a degree in history from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, died in 2025 at the age of 104.
His meeting with Ignatius made him realize that some of the most important progress in the military is the result of unglamorous work behind the scenes, the sometimes tedious bureaucratic tasks that lead to lasting and profound change.
For example, Ignatius told Durban that he had worked to ensure that Historically Black Colleges and Universities had ROTC programs. The first captain of the USS Paul Ignatius, which was commissioned in 2019, was an African American who had completed the Naval ROTC program.
Although Durban is the only USC alumnus on the ship, the Trojan spirit is omnipresent. USC memorabilia hang in various places on the ship, from the mess decks where the crew eats to the captain’s cabin, and from the pilothouse to the ship’s mascot, a replica of Tommy Trojan named Sparty.
And the ship’s motto?
“Always Ready. Fight On!”
