UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Smeal College of Business spring 2025 student marshal Jake Musmanno epitomizes the pinnacle of the involvement, passion and professionalism so many Smeal students embody.
The Metuchen, New Jersey, native has done more than a little during his time at Smeal.
A marketing major with minors in information systems management and legal environment of business, Musmanno will graduate May 10 with a 4.0 GPA.
When looking at the list of majors on the Penn State Bulletin while applying to Penn State, he shared how marketing jumped out to him and made him feel excited about his academics.
“I saw the storytelling aspect of marketing and liked the creativity that it requires. I knew it was something that I was really going to enjoy,” Musmanno said.
This has inspired him to dive deeper into his education. A former student and current teacher’s assistant for Marketing 494A, he built his resume through class as the brand director for the L’Oréal Penn State Prime Practicum. Additionally, he researches “the impact of AI use in marketing initiatives on consumer perceptions of brand personality and brand attitudes” as a part of his senior thesis.
As a Schreyer Scholar and a member of Smeal’s Sapphire Leadership Academic Program, Musmanno has earned dean’s list status every semester.
As commencement marks the end of Musmanno’s time at Penn State, he has made an impact on several student organizations at Penn State. He was the vice president of outreach of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, vice president of communications for Sapphire and a Smeal Student Mentor.
Extending beyond the business school, Musmanno served as the public relations chair for ServeState: Students for Philanthropy for a semester and was an Onward State photographer for four years.
While his extracurriculars kept him very busy, he did not let it stop him from accruing professional experience.
During his time at Penn State, he has been the executive office summer marketing analyst at PGIM Global Asset Management, affiliate marketing and partnership intern at Power Digital Marketing, brand marketing and strategy intern & content creation intern at Waterloo Sparkling Water and field marketing intern at Allied Global Marketing.
After graduation, he will return to PGIM Global Asset Management, Prudential’s asset management business, as an executive office marketing specialist in Newark, New Jersey.
“In this role, I hope to contribute to high-impact and strategic marketing projects that not only allow me to expand my expertise in financial services marketing but also support the business’s growth,” he said.
A businessman at heart, Musmanno also plans to continue his side-business, he said. He describes his photography business as “a passion project that I have been able to grow within the Penn State community throughout my four years as a student.”
His impressive experiences at Penn State have earned him the President Walker Award, President Sparks Award, Evan Pugh Award and a first-place finish in the Paragon 50/50 Case Competition.
He will soon be able to add student marshal to his list of accomplishments. And, he said, he has an important post-graduation purpose: He is excited to pay back the mentorship opportunities that he received.
“The opportunity to be mentored at Penn State and really see the passion of the alumni was really special for me. It's something I see myself contribute contributing to on the other end of the spectrum because I had great mentorship here,” Musmanno said.
This mentorship was not just professional. Musmanno said he remembers clearly the nervousness and excitement he experienced his first year during football season. When wandering around the tailgate fields, a group of alumni offered Musmanno and friends food and company.
“I realize that it wasn’t merely the casual invitation my freshman self-believed it to be. It was rather a genuine intention to gift a small but significant portion of their Penn State experience to me,” he said.
Now, he said, he plans to do the same.
“It has instilled in me that the best way to honor and appreciate what I receive is to share it with others,” he said, “After I graduate, I look forward to having the opportunity to continue to mentor students, be a guest speaker for a Smeal student organizations and, of course, invite a group of lost yet hopeful first-years to my tailgate.”
Major Marshals
Smeal will also recognize 10 major marshals and one ROTC representative:
- Grace Guie is the accounting marshal, graduating with an integrated master’s in accounting.
- Anthony Padula is the actuarial science marshal with a minor in Spanish.
- Emma Wiggins is the corporate innovation and entrepreneurship marshal with a minor in legal environment of business.
- Justin Heckler is the finance marshal with minors in supply chain and information systems technology.
- Perry Drugan is the management marshal with a double major in communications sciences and disorders.
- Sarah Langer is the management information systems marshal with another major in economics.
- Anna Eckert is the marketing marshal with a minor in digital media trends and analytics.
- Colin McGrath is the real estate marshal.
- Jameson Bogdan is the risk management marshal with a minor in information system management.
- Alivia Clawson is the supply chain and information systems marshal.
- Mark Vighetti is the ROTC representative, majoring in marketing and minoring in military studies and international business.