Right now, most USC students are gearing up for summer internships, vacations and graduation.
USC senior journalism Jinge Li, who also goes by Justin, is preparing for something else. Li is currently studying abroad in Rome, Italy, while training for his first cross-country biking trip called the Journey of Hope, which he will take this Summer to raise awareness and funds for children with disabilities.
“It’s one thing when you take a car and drive around the country,” Li said. “It’s another thing when you bike.”
Journey of Hope is a program of the Ability Experience, a nonprofit organization for members of Pi Kappa Phi honor society to work with the disabled community.
“We didn’t want to just have these young men do philanthropy work and raise funds. We wanted them to do something to serve others,” Basil Lyberg, the president of the Ability Experience, said. “For Journey of Hope, the guys will raise the funds and then they’ll actually ride their bikes an average of 75 miles a day from city to city and visit different organizations that serve people with disabilities, and we will award grants to those organizations along the way.”
The annual cross-country trip is held every summer and consists of two teams, each with at most 30 cyclists, that take two different routes. There is a Northern route that kicks off in San Francisco and a Transamerica route that starts in Seattle. 8,000 miles later, both teams will arrive as one at the US capital, in Washington, D.C.
Li, the only member of the USC chapter of Pi Kappa Phi who will be participating in this trip, will be on the Transamerica route.
“In 2024, I was fired twice. Then I started a passion project that raised over $10,000, but I just couldn’t hold on to it. I watched it collapse in my hands,” Li said.
Though he had support from his mentor, therapist and family back in China, he explained that he went through a tough time where he spent a lot of time in bed or taking cold showers to quiet down his mind.
When he joined Pi Kappa Phi, he knew about Journey of Hope but had no intentions of committing to it until he went to an Ability Experience camp. At the camp, he helped build a campground alongside children with disabilities.
“That trip just completely changed me,” Li said. “I am always blessed to have people by my side. I have a lot of support, a lot of opportunity and I have tons of second chances. I realized that I take a lot from this world, and I have barely started giving back. So I signed up.”
Being nine time zones ahead of L.A. has made communication and raising money for his Journey of Hope trip challenging. All bikers are required to reach a minimum of $6,500 but are encouraged to aim for $7,500. Currently, Li has a little over $3,000 on his fundraising page.
Li has reached out to LinkedIn connections, the Trustee Board of USC and news outlets in L.A. and Italy to raise awareness and money for his trip.
On Monday, April 7, there will be a Chipotle fundraiser for USC Chapter Pi Kappa Phi at the restaurant location across from the Coliseum between 4 and 8 p.m. By showing the flyer or using a code on mobile orders, 25% of any purchase will be donated toward supporting children with disabilities for Journey of Hope.
Beyond raising funds for his trip, Li also has to balance his school schedule in Rome with his training.
“I’m working out in a local gym with a trainer, and the program also paired me up with a coach who is a former triathlon athlete and has done the Journey to Hope trip before,” Li said.
Starting April 1, Li’s goal is to bike 600 miles. He bikes roughly 200 miles a week, with individual trips ranging from 35 to 80 miles
“I haven’t found a bike route in Rome that’s long enough yet. But I’m thinking if I bike from where I’m staying right now to the airport and back, that’s about 45 miles, and I’ll just do a loop around the city. That should get me to the 80 mile goal.”
He said that he built his schedule this way so that during his last week in Rome, while he finals, he will have 100 miles left.
Lyberg shared what he finds special about witnessing students like Li participate in the Journey of Hope trip.
“I think it unlocks something truly special to where people realize their potential to serve and potential to make a difference. And I think that’s what Justin and many others experience by going out and telling others,” Lyberg said. “I’m excited for Justin that he’s taken on the next steps in this next challenge of wanting to do more and wanting to impact people with disabilities in another way through the Journey of Hope.”