Five seniors from the School of Public Policy are being recognized as Senior Marshals for their scholarship, service to the campus community, extracurricular involvement and personal growth.
Graduates are chosen for this honor through a campus-wide nomination process by faculty, administrators and staff, and are selected through an application process. The group is typically celebrated during a luncheon hosted by University of Maryland President Wallace Loh and during the campus-wide graduation ceremony. With the switch to virtual commencement ceremonies,, the marshals were honored a little differently this year.
All of the marshals are recognized via the Stamp website and will receive a medallion commemorating their achievements. In addition, we asked your Senior Marshals what their future plans were, if they had any advice for the next wave of students and to reflect on their time at SPP.
Meet your 2020 SPP Senior Marshals:
Cayla Cwerner, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey is a psychology major with minors in public leadership and Spanish literature, linguistics and culture.
"I decided to add a minor in Public Leadership because I was curious about the tools needed to be an effective leader," said Cwerner. "Additionally, I believe understanding how to effectively lead towards a goal is important no matter what profession you hope to achieve. I’ll miss the interesting class discussions we had, but I’m excited to apply [those leadership skills] to help students succeed as I pursue a Master of Education in School Counseling."
Elmer Jonathan Garcia, of Rockville, is a senior studying public policy and communication with a minor in law and society. In the fall, Garcia will be going to pursue a Masters in Public Administration at George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration.
When asked what advice he would give to the incoming freshman class and incoming public policy majors, he said: “Listen. Empathize. Advocate.”
“There is strength in knowing one’s own privilege and power in this world, Gardia said “Once you know this, it is important to begin listening to and empathizing with life stories that are different from your own. Create spaces/platforms though the use of your power and privilege to help others amplify their own voices.”
Maris Medina, of Rockville, is a senior studying multiplatform journalism and public policy. After graduation, Medina hopes to work in a career that blends the skills she’s gained from both public policy and journalism, possibly as a visual journalist covering issues she learned about in her policy classes. She’s also interested in pursuing law, making direct change in the system using both the inspiration and the technical skills she gathered at SPP.
“As an aspiring journalist, I knew early on that I wanted to report on issues that impacted marginalized communities and people of color,” said Medina. “The most valuable part of my major has been the rich discussions we’ve had about issues that really matter in today’s world. I've been able to research magnet school segregation to corporal punishment in schools, which has fueled a love for education policy overall. I’ve always loved having classes where so many people are so passionate about changing the world for the better.”
Katie Miller, of Bethesda, is a senior with dual majors in public policy and Spanish. In the future, Miller hopes to work on another campaign (having previously served on the Warren for President campaign and a local Democratic campaign) as well as move west. She doesn’t rule out running for office herself, and looks to apply what she’s learned about the history of inequality in the United States to fight for civil rights and inclusivity.
“To incoming freshmen, I would recommend taking courses that sound interesting, even if they don’t align perfectly with your major or four-year plan," said Miller. "I would advise next year’s group of seniors to go easy on themselves and enjoy the smaller parts of college life, instead of solely focusing on landing the perfect job and having the future all figured out after graduation. As for incoming public policy majors, take advantage of SPP’s abundance of free resources and push yourself to participate in community-bonding events!"
Raymond Nevo, of Oakland, California, is a senior studying public policy. Nevo started as the State Policy and Equity Advocate for the National Housing Trust in February, and has already been able to exercise many of the skills he’s learned at SPP prior to graduation.
When asked what was the most valuable part of his major, Nevo said, “The people! The administration, staff and faculty are invaluable. And it is because of them that I leave feeling more confident than ever that I can do whatever I set my mind to. I got the job I have now because I kept in touch with a professor after taking his class. So talk to people. Put yourself out there. Do something that scares you. The world is extremely uncomfortable. Take the opportunity to adjust to being uncomfortable in a safe space now so that you’re able to handle it in the real world later.”