Academics

Six selected as communications student marshals

College of Communications student marshals for spring 2015 (clockwise from top left): Melissa Conrad, Rachel Casciano, Marisa Bippus, Samantha Zimmer, Jieun Lee and Michael Appleman. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Six standout students will represent Penn State's College of Communications as student marshals during spring commencement exercises Saturday, May 9, at the Bryce Jordan Center.

 

One student will serve as the overall marshal and the other five will represent each of the majors -- advertising/public relations, film-video, journalism, media studies and telecommunications -- in the College of Communications. Students selected were: Melissa Conrad, Rachel Casciano, Marisa Bippus, Michael Appleman, Jieun Lee and Samantha Zimmer.

 

Conrad, who will graduate with a degree in advertising/public relations, earned a 4.0 GPA in her time at Penn State and will serve as the overall marshal for the College.

 

“I am very thankful for the chance to even be considered for this position. I never expected to be selected as college marshal,” said Conrad.

 

Conrad, a Hamburg, New Jersey native, has a strong passion for sports. She has completed a sports journalism certificate through the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State and she hopes to pursue a career in sports communications and public relations. As a student, she completed internships with Adidas Basketball North America and Under Armour. 

 

She served as a consulting director for Happy Valley Communications, a student-run public relations firm, and she was also director of finance in the Public Relations Student Society of America, a College Ambassador for Ford Motor Company and worked as a communications assistant for Penn State Athletic Communications.

 

“There are unbelievable opportunities here,” Conrad said. “It’s unlike any school I’ve seen in the country.”

 

Casciano is the marshal for advertising/public relations. The Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, native spent three years on the varsity cross-country team at Penn State. This year, together with a friend, she raised $17,800 for the Penn State Dance Marathon (THON) and danced in the event. In her time at Penn State, she completed internships with Nike and Elite Sportswear. She also completed an internship in the athletic communications office and was a member of Kappa Tau Alpha and the Penn State Athletic Director’s Leadership Institute.

 

She received the “True Grit” Award for student-athletes who overcome serious obstacles or injuries and continue to excel in school and sports. She is also an Evan Pugh Scholar, an award given to juniors and seniors in the top 0.5 percent of their respective classes.

 

“I thought this would be a great way to close this chapter of my life. My time here has been a great roller coaster ride,” said Casciano.

 

Casciano hopes to work in brand communications for a large corporation. Her dream companies are Nike and Whole Foods. She also hopes to live in Australia for a short period of time.

 

Film-video will be led Bippus, a native of Harrison City, Pennsylvania. Bippus is set to graduate with a double major, complementing her film-video degree with bachelor’s in marketing. She completed internships at Trium Entertainment in California and with Centre County’s Government and Education Access Television Network (C-NET). 

 

Bippus has been involved in numerous productions, working on a commercial for Turn-Key Tailgates, a short-film titled “THUG” and a feature-film titled “Stones We Throw.” She also directed and produced her own short-film, titled “Scarcity,” and has worked as a production assistant, director, producer and camera operator.

 

Appleman, marshal for journalism, said his four years at Penn State helped him discover and prepare for what he wants to do professionally as he gained experience in both the print and broadcast emphases of the journalism program. 

 

A member of Schreyer Honors College, Appleman, from Duncansville, Pennsylvania, gained valuable experience in the field with the student-produced “Centre County Report” newscast and by completing internships for the Napa Valley Film Festival, B94.5, Eagle 97.8 and WTAJ-TV. He was also a writer and social media manager for The Daily Collegian.

 

“One of the biggest takeaways from my education here is the friends I’ve made. I will miss the professors here, who are exceptional,” said Appleman, who worked at Penn State’s Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment under Robert Richards, the John and Ann Curley Professor of First Amendment Studies.

 

Appleman plans to pursue a career in broadcast journalism or television production in New York or Los Angeles. 

 

Media studies will be represented by Lee, who is from Seoul, Republic of Korea. Lee completed internships with the Seoul Broadcasting System and worked as an English guide and interpreter at the UAE-Korea Economic Partnership Forum. Additionally, she taught English in Paju, Republic of Korea. She transferred to Penn State after originally attending the University of Minnesota.

 

Zimmer, marshal for telecommunications, also majored in comparative literature. The Honesdale, Pennsylvania, native is a Schreyer Honors College member. While in school, she worked at the Law Office of Mark R. Zimmer and the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing. She was also involved in Disciplemakers Christian Fellowship, Student Support Services and served as the Penn State Dance Marathon chair for the Student United Way.

 

Zimmer has been offered admission to several different law schools. Her passion for law started at home. Her father is an attorney and she worked in his law office when she was in high school. At Penn State, Zimmer took many communications classes that relate to mass communications law and telecommunications regulations.

Last Updated June 2, 2021