I Forgive Olivia Jade Even Though She Took My Spot at USC

Olivia Jade Giannulli, me, Sayria Jade, and Faye Claire

Last year I went to pick up some makeup for my sister-in-law’s birthday at Sephora. I ended up staying an hour longer and getting a picture with Olivia Jade. When I met her, I would have never have guessed that she would become the poster child for America’s biggest college scandal. Comments on her Instagram posts (before they were disabled), Reddit, left and right-leaning news publications and YouTube crucified her as a selfish, dumb brat that didn’t deserve anything she has, let alone her college admission.

None of the commenters actually know her. It’s all conjecture. None of them have skin in the game or a scar to show. I did.

I applied to USC the same year she did with “everything” I needed to get in: a 1500 SAT score, 11 gold medals from state-level vocal competitions, internships at a startup and legacy companies, multiple recommendation letters from very successful people with grades to match, and ~1200 hours of community service.

But, I didn’t get in — Olivia took “my place.”

Did Olivia and the other students know what was going on? I can’t say for certain. The FBI affidavit shows that several parents tried to hide what they were doing from their kids and, in Olivia’s case, it’s plausible that her constant celebrity life made her too busy to know. Again, I can’t say for certain. So, do I condone what happened in the scandal? No, cheating is wrong and it has consequences. But that’s not the topic I’m covering in this article.

Olivia and her sister left USC because they were scared of being judged by their friends and peers and were overcome by the shame that came from the scandal. Some pointed out this could be a PR move; I doubt it. How many times have you been scared of seeing your friends or family over something much smaller than a national scandal?

So what am I saying? That I don’t hold anything against Olivia and, in fact, I want the very best for her. I understand that it was God who had different plans for me so he closed my opportunity at USC.

I can only imagine what she is going through right now

That feeling of shame… I know it, you know it too; we all know it well and that’s what I want to talk to you about. I was on track to graduate high school at 15, but ended up graduating ‘on time’. A lot of stuff happened growing up that made me mess up again and again. Part of me wants to point to those who played a part in that and hurt me and my plans. But I screwed up. I didn’t know how to handle all the problems I had or approach others for help until it was too late. Thankfully, I’ve grown so much as a person, thanks to those who have helped me! I still struggle with many things, but my ability to handle them and move beyond them is so much greater. How did I go from “bottom of the barrel” to “top of the heap”?

God’s grace.

That shame we each carry around because of what others did to us, what we did or didn’t do is so much to bear. Before we lash out at those who are going through something, take a step back and remember what it’s like for you.

There is an awesome story about King Saul’s grandson, Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan. Mephibosheth literally means “mouth of shame.” When he was 5 years old his grandpa and dad died in battle. Mephibosheth’s nurse, fearing for his life, picked him up and ran, but she dropped him, crippling him. When he was a grown man he lived in Lo-Debar, a backwater town not fit for a prince. Why did he live there? Because He was scared for his life. It was common for new kings to kill off anyone that could challenge their legitimacy.

When King David learned that he was alive, he sent for Mephibosheth. He was as good as dead.

But David did anything but kill Mephibosheth. Despite Saul hunting down David, trying to “pin him to the wall” with a spear, and much more, David gave Mephibosheth all the land Saul had and treated him like his son — a prince again. Was David just being really kind? No, David did all that because he had a blood covenant with Jonathan to “not forget him [Jonathan] or his family and always bless him.”

That is the story of a prince whose very name meant shame, who was crippled by someone else, lived in a backwater town, raised up to new glory to live in the king’s palace. That can be your story. You are a prince/princess. You might have messed up or someone might have messed you up, but there is a king — The KING — who wants to raise you up. His name is Jesus.

Our shame is unbearable; it’s the gravity that makes it hard to breathe; it’s the weight that makes it hard to even fake a smile; it’s the heat that suffocates you at night and wakes you in a sweat; every day it says, “You can’t move forward. No one is going to forgive you. They aren’t smiling with you, they’re laughing at you! They hate you.”

Just as David, a king, pulled Mephibosheth out of his broken down life and into the king’s palace, Jesus, The KING, is ready to do that FOR YOU! Just as David had a blood covenant with Jonathan, Jesus has a blood covenant with God, and He has never and will never forget it. No matter where you were, are, or will be, Jesus loves you as much today, as your worst day, and your best day: always the same — infinitely.

When I met Olivia last year I didn’t know she had been accepted to USC and she didn’t know I had been rejected. Could she have taken “my spot?” Arguably, but I doubt it. And, I don’t hold anything against Olivia, don’t feel that I have a reason to, and, in fact, I want her to go through what I went through: redemption. I’m far from perfect, I’ve messed up much more than I share here and Jesus still loves me. Jesus loves you. You don’t have to turn around and run towards Him. Just turn, because He is running towards you.

“Your [Jesus’] love never fails, never gives up, never runs out on me.” - “One Thing Remains” by Jesus Culture

To Olivia and those involved, to those watching from the sidelines like me, that love is for you.

We can love others because Jesus loved us first. (1 John 4:19)

Hi, I'm Daniel Johns

I am completing dual Master of Science degrees in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering while honing my drawing skills, learning French, and pursuing various side projects

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click here to email me | @danieljohnsrawr on X