Graduation by the numbers: Summer 2020

Did you know three Penn State World Campus students will serve as student marshals for the University's summer graduation?

That's just one of the factoids we found about the 934 Penn State World Campus students who will graduate on Saturday, August 15, during Penn State's virtual commencement ceremony. Here is a run-down of some other nuggets of info about this group of students. 

The big picture

Of the 934 students graduating, 554 students will receive a graduate degree. There are 333 students who will get a bachelor's degree, and another 47 will receive an associate degree.

We have students hailing from Pennsylvania to California, Texas to North Dakota, and even Alaska and Hawaii. In all, 47 states are represented among our graduates. Our grads live in 16 countries around the world, including South Korea, the Philippines, and Italy.

Our grads range in age from 19 to 64.

Programs and a milestone

A total of 81 degree programs are represented by this summer's graduates. 

One of our newest programs, the Master of Professional Studies in Strategic Communications, will mark the graduation of its first students, with 10 grads. We launched this program in 2018 in partnership with the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. 

Student marshals

Speaking of the Bellisario College of Communications, a Penn State World Campus student was named the college's student marshal for summer commencement. Elyssa Vondra is majoring in digital media and journalism, and after graduation, she will start working as the editor of a newspaper in Wisconsin.

Joy Garcia, who is majoring in law and society, was named the student marshal of the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts. Garcia is graduating with a 4.0 grade-point average and plans to attend law school.

Another student, Candice Sheaffer, will serve as the student marshal for the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology. Sheaffer will receive a bachelor's degree in security and risk analysis, information and cybersecurity option. She hopes to one day work for the National Security Agency or another government agency in counterterrorism.

Military students

186 graduates, or almost 20 percent of the total number, have a military affiliation. That means they're either active duty, a veteran, a reservist, in the National Guard, or a military spouse. 

A dozen students are officers in the military and will receive master's degrees thanks to unique partnerships that Penn State World Campus has with the military. 

10 Army sergeants major will receive master's degrees in lifelong learning and adult education. Since last summer, they have been working on their degrees as part of the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Fellowship Program.

And 2 Marine Corps servicemen completed their master's degrees in supply chain management through the Marines Corps Logistics Fellowship Program at Penn State.

Already Penn Staters

84 graduates who are getting their master's degrees have already earned a bachelor's degree at a Penn State campus.

22 students are getting another degree online through Penn State World Campus.

Congratulations to those who are graduating this summer!