College of Education announces student program marshals for spring commencement

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State College of Education has announced its student program marshals for the spring 2025 commencement ceremony.

The College of Education’s commencement ceremony for undergraduate students is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Sunday, May 11 at Pegula Ice Arena on the University Park campus.

• Margaret Day, majoring in education and public policy, is from Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, and is the daughter of Julie Day and Joseph Habich. She is a dual major who is also studying Spanish in the College of the Liberal Arts and also has a minor in women’s studies. She has a perfect 4.0 GPA and has been a dean’s list student each semester at Penn State. Day has received the President Walker Award, the President Sparks Award, the Evan Pugh Scholar Award and the 2025 Rock Ethics Institute Stand Up Award. Day also has received the Spanish Intermediate Language Program Certificate, the Passaic Family Undergraduate Scholarship in Spanish, Italian and Portuguese and a Certificate of Excellence in Spanish. After graduation, she hopes to work in gender advocacy. Day has chosen Professor Edward Fuller as her faculty escort.
• Grace Newman, majoring in elementary and early childhood education, is from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and is the daughter of Kristen and Sean Newman. In addition to her major, Newman is graduating with a minor in special education. She has a perfect 4.0 GPA and has been a dean’s list student each semester at Penn State. Newman has received the President Walker Award, the President Sparks Award, has twice received the Evan Pugh Scholar Award. She plans to work as an elementary school teacher in Pennsylvania after graduation and has future plans to pursue a master’s degree. Newman has chosen Assistant Teaching Professor Christine McDonald as her faculty escort.
• Mackenzie Crosa, majoring in middle level education, is from York, Pennsylvania, and is the daughter of Laura and John Corsa. She has been a dean’s list student each semester at Penn State. She received the President Walker Award in 2022 and has served as treasurer of the Student Pennsylvania State Education Association and participated in THON as a dancer. After graduation, she plans to teach in an elementary school and coach middle or high school volleyball in the York area. Crosa has chosen Assistant Teaching Professor Kimberly Mowery to be her faculty escort.
• Camille Alexander, majoring in rehabilitation and human services, is from New Castle, Pennsylvania, and is the daughter of Amy and Gregory Alexander. In addition to her major, she is graduating with minors in human development as well as family studies, addictions and recovery. She has been a dean’s list student each semester at Penn State. Alexander has served as the primary THON chair for Eclipse and volunteered with Penn State LifeLink this past fall. She plans to enroll in graduate school in the fall 2025 semester to pursue a master’s degree in school counseling. Alexander has chosen Associate Teaching Professor Jessica Henry to be her faculty escort.
• Lia Tanous, majoring in secondary education, is from Slate Hill, New York, and is the daughter of Melissa and Andrew J. Tanous. She is majoring in secondary education English. Tanous has a perfect 4.0 GPA and has been a dean’s list student each semester at Penn State while graduating in just three years. She has received the President Sparks Award, the President Walker Award and the Evan Pugh Scholar Award. Tanous has also received the Folds of Honor Educational Scholarship for three years, the Heroes’ Legacy Scholarship for three years and the Air Force Sergeants Association and Airmen Memorial Foundation Scholarship in 2022. After graduation, she plans to enroll in a school counseling master’s program while continuing to gain experience teaching in middle or high school. Tanous has chosen Teaching Professor Michelle Knotts to be her faculty escort.
• Megan Handshew, majoring in special education, is from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, and is the daughter of Deborah and Michael Handshew. In addition to her major, Handshew is graduating with a minor in rehabilitation and human services. She has been a dean’s list student each semester at Penn State. Handshew has received the George T. Ettenger Award from the College of Education, the Kate Rittner Undergraduate Scholarship and Ann Terwilliger McLaren Scholarship from the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and the Journey of Faith Scholarship from Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church. She plans to work in a public school teaching in a life skills or autistic support classroom after graduation. Handshew has chosen to be escorted by Associate Teaching Professor Jeremy Moeller.
• Claire Bryan, majoring in world languages education, is from Irwin, Pennsylvania, and is the daughter of Laura and Patrick Bryan. She is a dual major who is also studying applied German with a minor in Spanish through the College of the Liberal Arts. She has been a dean’s list student each semester at Penn State. Bryan has received the Excellence in Spanish Award from the Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese in the College of the Liberal Arts. She has served on the Student Pennsylvania State Education Association and is a member of the Spanish Club. After graduation, she plans to teach German or Spanish in a middle or high school classroom in the Pittsburgh area. Bryan has chosen Associate Professor Amy Crosson to be her faculty escort.