UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As part of Penn State’s 2020 spring commencement activities, Loren Baseler will represent the Department of French and Francophone Studies in the College of the Liberal Arts as the department’s student marshal.
In response to the growing coronavirus pandemic, orders from the state government and recommendations from global public health organizations, Penn State will hold its spring 2020 commencement ceremony via livestream on May 9. The virtual ceremony will recognize all Penn State undergraduate students and all graduate students in the Penn State Graduate School.
Baseler, a Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar, will graduate with bachelor of arts degrees in French and francophone studies and English. Her faculty marshal is Bénédicte Monicat, professor of French and women’s studies.
Baseler began her studies at Penn State Greater Allegheny and transferred to Penn State University Park her junior year. While at the Greater Allegheny campus, she served as the editor-in-chief and assistant to the press coordinator of ABSENCE, a literary and visual arts magazine. As the editor, she worked with staff to review submitted work and organize the magazine, as well as planned open mic nights for students to share creativity on campus. Last year, she interned with the American Shakespeare Center and served as a teaching assistant at Penn State.
Through her French and francophone studies, Baseler developed a passion for the French language and culture. She was able to immerse herself in the French culture while studying abroad in Montpellier, France in the spring semester of her junior year. Through an integrated program, Baseler was able to take classes directly at the Université Paul Valéry.
Baseler has made the dean’s list every semester since enrolling at Penn State. She has also been the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, including the Sichi Scholarship for Academic Excellence in English in 2018 and the Undergraduate Certificate of Academic Excellence in French and Francophone Studies this spring.
With graduation fast approaching, Baseler reflects on the impact her liberal arts education has had on her. “My liberal arts education provided me with the tools to communicate well with others, in addition to being able to articulate my own thoughts and opinions,” she said. “The College of the Liberal Arts has helped me to be more confident both in and out of the classroom, and the skills that I acquired through my programs will stay with me throughout what I pursue in the future.”
Next year, Baseler hopes to serve as an English teaching assistant and cultural ambassador through the French government’s Teaching Assistant Program in France. If accepted, she will have the opportunity to teach the English language and American culture in a French school.
To students in the College of the Liberal Arts, Baseler stresses the importance of taking advantage of all of the opportunities available to students. “There are so many ways to get involved in clubs and organizations to help you grow even further,” she said. “If, like me, you need to focus on working outside of classes instead of joining clubs, then immerse yourself in your program as much as you can. The professors and others in the department truly care about your success and want to help you thrive.”
This is the 17th in a series of stories on the 24 student marshals representing the College of the Liberal Arts during the spring 2020 commencement activities.