UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sixteen recent graduates were selected by the Penn State Alumni Association as Young Alumni Ambassadors for the 2024-25 academic year.
The Young Alumni Ambassador program is a yearlong experience that enhances the connections between young alumni, the Penn State Alumni Association, and the University and helps participants develop skills to become the University's future volunteer leaders.
Participants develop into confident and capable leaders while motivating fellow alumni to engage with the University through volunteerism and membership in the Alumni Association.
The Young Alumni Ambassador program was developed in part through the generosity of Peter and Ann Tombros, who provided seed funding for a pilot initiative, followed by additional support including a $25,000 gift that was matched by the Alumni Association to create a $50,000 endowment to help fund a portion of the Young Alumni Ambassador experience in perpetuity.
“It’s great for us to see the impact of our support on the Young Alumni Ambassador program,” Peter Tombros said. “This program enhances the post-graduation experience for young alumni by connecting them to seasoned mentors, resources, and group leaders throughout the country. This generation of alumni engages with Penn State and the Alumni Association in different ways, and we want them to be involved in shaping the future.”
The 2024-25 ambassadors were selected after an extensive interview process. August 2024, December 2024 and May 2025 graduates are encouraged to apply for the 2025-26 class of ambassadors when applications become available in April 2025.
This year’s Young Alumni Ambassadors are:
Aaliyah Booker, class of 2024 — criminal justice, Penn State Beaver
Booker lives in Milton, Georgia, and plans to further her education by attending law school.
Casey Capetola, class of 2024 — computer science and business
Capetola lives in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and is an associate software engineer for Capital One focusing on site reliability engineering.
Nya Cherry, class of 2024 — biology and biology secondary education
Cherry lives in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, and is a STEM educator in a local public school district.
Madison Dowdell, class of 2024 — psychology
Dowdell lives in State College, Pennsylvania, and is a full-time MBA candidate in the Smeal College of Business.
Conor Kelley, class of 2024 — community development
Kelley lives in State College, Pennsylvania, and is an executive assistant in Ferguson Township.
Erika Long, class of 2024 — electrical engineering
Long lives in the Silicon Valley region of California and is a field applications engineer at Texas Instruments.
Michalie Mazurkivich, class of 2024 — computer science
Mazurkivich is a software engineer at Starbucks headquarters in Seattle, Wash.
Macy Miskiewicz, class of 2024 — biobehavioral health
Miskiewicz lives in State College, Pennsylvania, and is pursuing her master’s degree in public health. She is an engagement coordinator for Penn State Sustainability.
Aishwarya Oltikar, class of 2024 — information science and technology
Oltikar lives in Chicago, Illinois, and is a business analyst intern for the healthcare company, Digital Infuzion.
Isabelle Oropeza, class of 2024 — advertising, public relations and theater
Oropeza lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania, where she works remotely as an executive assistant at Carat, a marketing agency. She plans to relocate to New York City in December.
Nora O'Toole, class of 2024 — information science and technology
O'Toole lives in the Washington, D.C., area.
Christine Palmer, class of 2024 — computer science, mathematics and engineering leadership development
Palmer lives in New York City and is a software engineer at Apple. She also is part of Apple’s Evolve Rotational Program.
Gabriela Rivera, class of 2024 — political science
Rivera lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is pursuing her juris doctor degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Anjelica Rubin, class of 2024 — journalism and digital media trends and analytics
Rubin resides in St. Petersburg, Florida, and is a technology and innovation reporter for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
Hugh Mason Stewart, class of 2024 — management
Stewart lives in Owings Mills, Maryland, and is a management trainee at Enterprise. He plans to pursue a law degree in the future.
Abby Tarpey, class of 2024 — communications and film production
Tarpey resides in Los Angeles and is exploring freelance creative and commercial film work in the entertainment industry.