UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Photography student Jane Liechty has been named the fall 2024 student marshal for the College of Arts and Architecture.

Liechty is an adult learner, returning to school after a 22-year break and raising her five children. She will receive a bachelor of design in professional photography at Penn State University Park commencement exercises on Sunday, Dec. 22.

“I love education, so I wasn’t afraid of going back to school,” Liechty said.

Originally from England, she obtained a music degree from Birmingham University and a postgraduate certificate of education from Cambridge University. After meeting her husband while in school, they moved to the United States and eventually settled in State College, where her husband is a business professor at Penn State.

The decision to go back to school isn’t one Liechty took lightly, she said. Aware of the generational difference between her and most other students, she was slightly wary.

“One of the challenges is that I’m of a different generation,” Liechty said. “I’m from a different culture and generation, so it can be a bit of a disconnect I don’t always know how to bridge.”

However, Liechty said, her love for photography outweighed any anxieties.

“I have no regrets. I’m really glad I did this. I just love taking photographs and I think it’s really interesting how different people see the world. I definitely made the right choice in major the second time around,” Liechty explained.

After graduating, Liechty said she hopes to open a portrait business and continue with her documentary series, “Pennsylvania Town,” where she aims to photograph as many towns as possible across Pennsylvania.