UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jillian Lesikar, daughter of James Leppo, of Coarsegold, California, and Robin Ledford, of Monterey, California, will serve as the college marshal for the College of Health and Human Development at Penn State’s fall 2024 commencement ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 22.

Lesikar will graduate with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies that she earned online through Penn State World Campus. She also completed a certificate in inclusion, equity & advocacy from Penn State Brandywine. She served as the vice president and a founding member of the Health and Human Development World Campus Student Council. She also interned for the YWCA San Antonio as a health equity intern.

As a research assistant for Marinda Harrell-Levy, associate professor of human development and family studies at Penn State Brandywine, Lesikar assisted with a study examining trauma-informed practices during the COVID-19 pandemic in a mid-Atlantic school district with lower socioeconomic status. She went on to become the principal investigator of her own research project with the Online Students of Psychology Research Lab, led by Anthony Nelson, associate teaching professor of psychology at Penn State World Campus. In the study, she explored the correlation between screen time and short-term empathetic reactions in toddlers. She also served as the communications coordinator for the lab.

Lesikar was the recipient of the 2024 Corneal Award for Outstanding Student Achievement in Human Development and Family Studies, the 2024 Evan Pugh Senior Scholar Award, a 2023 Erickson Discovery Grant, and the 2022 President Walker Award. She is a member of the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society and the Psi Chi International Honor Society.

After graduation, Lesikar plans to continue gathering clinical experience while preparing for the next academic steps toward a career in pediatric healthcare.