UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As part of Penn State’s 2020 spring commencement activities, Aileen McKinstry will represent the Department of History in the College of the Liberal Arts as the department’s student marshal.
In response to the growing coronavirus pandemic, orders from the state government and recommendations from global public health organizations, Penn State will hold its spring 2020 commencement ceremony via livestream at 2 p.m. on May 9. The virtual ceremony will recognize all Penn State undergraduate students and all graduate students in the Penn State Graduate School.
McKinstry, a Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar, will graduate with bachelor of arts degrees in history and English, with a minor in music performance. Her faculty marshal is Cathleen Cahill, associate professor of history.
Throughout her Penn State career, McKinstry has pursued her passion for music in several meaningful ways. First, she was a member of the Penn State Philharmonic and Concert Choir. Under the Penn State Philharmonic, she had the opportunity to serve as assistant concertmaster. During the summers, McKinstry was a violinist in the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra. To top it off, her passion for music and charity drove her to organize a benefit concert, which raised $2,500 for the State College Area High School.
Combining her interests of history and law, McKinstry focused her Schreyer Honors thesis on Antonin Scalia, former associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She analyzed whether Justice Scalia’s understanding of jurisprudence aligned with historical records. McKinstry’s research sought to explore the effectiveness of using history when making legal decisions.
McKinstry also worked as a writing tutor at the Penn State Learning Center. As a tutor, she assisted students with thesis statements and personal statements and provided general writing tips. In addition, McKinstry had the opportunity to study abroad in London, England.
When reflecting on her time as a liberal arts student, McKinstry emphasized the world view a liberal arts education gives its students.
“My liberal arts education taught me that the stories we tell, through history, through literature, through music, not only enrich our understanding of their historical moment, but also shape our present,” she said. “The more stories people tell, the more we understand about ourselves and the world around us.”
Next year, McKinstry will pursue her master’s degree in American history. After she obtains her master’s, she plans to pursue a doctoral degree that will allow her to simultaneously attend law school and earn her doctorate in American history.
McKinstry advises first-year liberal arts students to “take advantage of three things at Penn State: the fantastic professors, the range of clubs/organizations, and student tickets for live performances. You hear a lot of the first two, but I really want to emphasize the third; there is so much talent at Penn State and even more that visits it. Even if classical music or Shakespeare doesn’t seem like your thing, make an effort to attend at least one live performance while at Penn State — you might be surprised!”
This is the fourth in a series of stories on the 24 student marshals representing the College of the Liberal Arts during the spring 2020 commencement activities.