Amanda Mohamed selected as Liberal Arts college marshal for spring commencement

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Amanda Mohamed will represent the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts as its college marshal at the spring commencement ceremony on May 4 in the Bryce Jordan Center at University Park.

“I am extremely honored to be the College of the Liberal Arts student marshal,” said the Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar. “Without the Liberal Arts and all their support, I don’t know where I would be right now. It feels great getting the recognition and seeing all my hard work and dedication pay off, especially since my college journey hasn’t always been easy.”

The State College, Pennsylvania, native will graduate with three bachelor of arts degrees in labor and human resources, global and international studies, and Spanish, and a minor in civic and community engagement. These areas of study covered all her interests and passions and provided her with a unique experience at Penn State.

As a first-generation college student, Mohamed always knew she wanted to pursue higher education, but she did not know the feasibility of this dream. However, financial support through the College of the Liberal Arts made her dream a reality.

“I love education and learning,” Mohamed said. “However, I came into college not knowing what I was signing myself up for, to be honest. Academic scholarships, enrichment funding and grants helped me through every part of my undergraduate career as they allowed me to continue my education, study abroad and pursue other opportunities outside the classroom. Eventually it all just came together.”

For the fall 2023 semester, Mohamed studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Santiago, Chile, through the Institute for the International Education of Students (IES Abroad). In the emerging economies program, she was able to experience firsthand an economy that was quite different from that of the United States. This experience provided her the opportunity to stand out as a candidate when she landed a human resources internship with First National Bank Corp. in Pittsburgh, where she will spend this summer.

“I was living in Argentina during an economic crisis. Living in a country where the economy was so fluid was very new to me,” Mohamed said. “Seeing how the Argentinean people would start their day by checking how much their money was worth compared to the dollar was interesting.”

Mohamed had the opportunity to be a Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) Fellow in The Brain Tracking Lab, directed by Giuli Dussias, professor of Spanish, linguistics and psychology, where she conducted her research in San Juan, Puerto Rico, working with bilingual Spanish and English speakers.

Additionally, Mohamed volunteered on two farms in Hawaii and Alaska through the Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) USA program.

The McNair Scholar also took every opportunity to get involved on campus. After being accepted to the Presidential Leadership Academy, she decided to take up a leadership role as a marketing and recruitment intern within the organization. She also was a Lion Ambassador and the co-director for Students Teaching Students, where she helped manage the executive board and worked on recruitment efforts.

“I gained a lot of confidence from all my involvements on campus,” Mohamed said. “I learned how to network and talk to students of all majors and faculty. I also met some of my best friends from being involved in these organizations. Being this involved gave me the motivation for what I want to do in the future with working in a variety of sectors.”

Following her summer internship, Mohamed will attend the University of Maryland, College Park, to pursue a master’s degree in higher education. 

Not only did the financial support from the College of the Liberal Arts alleviate some of the stresses that come with being a student, Mohamed said the support from faculty and staff has made all the difference to her time at Penn State.

Notably, Melissa Doberstein, director of the Presidential Leadership Academy; Jon Tveite, academic coordinator for the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program; and Tom Masullo, assistant teaching professor of Spanish — all of whom she considers her “academic parents” — have contributed to her success and journey.

Mohamed also took advantage of Liberal Arts Student Services like the Career Enrichment Network and Academic Advising, as well as University resources like the Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center.

“They benefited my time at Penn State as I was able to participate in resume reviews and budgeting workshops that will help me in my future.”

As the semester begins to wind down, Mohamed is taking the last few weeks to soak in the bittersweet feeling that comes with college graduation. In her “self-care era,” she is spending less time on her phone and more time with her friends, reading and exploring State College’s coffee shops. Although she will miss the hustle and bustle of being a Penn State student, she is looking forward to settling down into more of a steady, consistent routine.

When thinking about advice she would give to herself or other younger students at Penn State, she said: “You’re going to get through it, and you will graduate. Even when things get tough and seem impossible, good things are going to come, and things will work out — I promise.”