UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) has named its student marshals for the spring 2023 commencement ceremony. Elissa McNeil will represent the IST’s undergraduate majors, and Daniel Manolesco will represent the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program.
Student marshals are selected for their outstanding academic achievement and contributions to student life. They will lead the procession of graduates into the commencement ceremony, which will be held at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, in the Pegula Ice Arena.
Elissa McNeil will graduate summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in human-centered design and development (HCDD), a minor in psychology and the Penn State Smeal College Business Fundamentals Certificate. She was the recipient of the Evan Pugh Scholar Award, the President Sparks Award, and the Experienced Learning Assistant of the Year Award.
“Being chosen as one of the College of IST’s student marshals is a significant achievement for me,” said McNeil, a first-generation college student. “This recognition illustrates that others also see my commitment to academic excellence and personal growth, and it inspires me to continue pushing myself to achieve my goals.”
According to McNeil, she had only a basic understanding of technology-based problem-solving before coming to Penn State. She said the HCDD major — introduced to her during new student orientation — became the perfect academic fit.
“I had the chance to learn that I enjoy design, research, psychology, business and more,” she said. “The College of IST is truly a place for interdisciplinary excellence. Everything that I have learned within IST will enable me to create a successful and stable future for myself.”
After graduation, McNeil will join Merck, where she interned last summer, in the Emerging Talent Rotational Program. While there, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in human-computer interaction.
Daniel Manolesco will graduate magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in security and risk analysis (SRA). As an ROTC student at Penn State, he pledged himself to a leadership-focused curriculum and extensive military training to become a commissioned officer in the United States military.
Manolesco completed the U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidates School last summer and recently received the Major Samuel Griffith Memorial Award for Outstanding Marine Midshipman. His honors thesis, “Sex Trafficking in Nonurban Environments,” was supervised by Ed Glantz, a teaching professor in IST, and Peter Forster, professor emeritus of SRA at Penn State.
Being named a student marshal serves as a reminder to constantly seek self-improvement, according to Manolesco. He credits his academic success to Penn State’s IST community.
“I’ve matured in ways I would never have expected, and I don’t think first-year me would recognize who I am today,” he said. “I am very grateful for the professors, advisers and staff who’ve helped make me who I am today.”
Upon graduation, Manolesco will be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He will attend The Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, to begin his professional career in the Navy.
“I am most grateful for the people I have met — they have become my family,” he said. “I will be sad to move on from Penn State, but I understand it’s required. When I graduate, it will be the people that I miss most.”