Commencement at Penn State Abington is always a family affair.
ABINGTON, Pa. — More than 225 new Penn State Abington graduates celebrated their accomplishments and looked excitedly to the future during the recent summer/fall 2024 commencement exercises.
The students were led into the campus Athletic Building by Alexa Morley and Saranya Ananth, who were selected as student marshals for their academic achievements. Morley and Ananth also offered brief remarks to open and close the ceremony.
Following a stirring performance of the national anthem by the campus choir, Chancellor Gary Liguori asked the new graduates to lead through example.
“Practice civility, especially when you disagree. And never forget that education is power, but a power that should never be misused. Be proud and be humble, and today, be very, very happy,” he said.
Keynote speaker Marvin Johnson, a 1984 Penn State alumnus, reminded the new graduates not to underestimate the value of support systems.
“My accomplishments in every single job I ever held had less to do with me as an individual than it did with the amazingly talented people around me and their willingness to invest in my success,” said Johnson, a member of the and a retired executive at Merck pharmaceuticals.
Among the summer/fall 2024 graduates:
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Nicholas Gahman earned simultaneous degrees, a bachelor’s in computer science and a master’s in artificial intelligence.
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Four graduates received their Schreyer Honors College medallions during the ceremony: Gahman and biology majors Saranya Ananth , Setareh Atighechi and Margarita Badalyan.
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Three students completed two bachelor’s degrees: Phillip Diouf, psychological and social sciences and biology; and Robert Roccamo and Christo Thankachan, business and project and supply chain management.
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30 students graduated with honors.
Each year during the summer/fall commencement exercises, state Rep. Benjamin V. Sanchez, who represents the 153rd District that includes the Abington campus, recognizes a graduate with the Legislative Citation. This year he presented the honor to Morley.
The event included brief remarks from Leilani Fox, class of 2004 and president of the Abington Alumni Society board. She presented the students with a free one-year membership to the Penn State Alumni Association and rocked the building with a final “WE ARE!”
Check out the commencement video or the album of images on Facebook.
About Penn State Abington
Penn State Abington provides an affordable, accessible and high-impact education resulting in the success of a diverse student body. It is committed to student success through innovative approaches to 21st-century public higher education within a world-class research university. With more than 3,100 students, Penn State Abington is a residential campus that offers baccalaureate degrees in 25 majors, accelerated master's degrees, undergraduate research, the Schreyer Honors College, NCAA Division III athletics and more.
