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LIFE BEHIND THE MASK Check out the Fall 2020 Communicator for that story and more!
First World Campus student earns student marshal honors Elyssa Vondra’s experience sounds strikingly similar to that of many other Penn State students: the University made a strong first impression, she changed her major a few times, and she balanced academic responsibilities while working to pay her tuition. In many ways she had the quintessential Penn State
she sought experience to complement what she was learning in the classroom. A Dean’s List student, Vondra earned numerous academic awards, including the President Sparks Award and the President’s Freshman Award. As a recipient of a U.S. Senate Youth Program scholarship, she traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet former President Barack Obama and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Vondra started learning remotely in her home state and later moved to Columbia, South Carolina, with her husband, Avi Sukhwal, as he pursued his doctorate. She
experience — and she capped it as a student marshal,
worked as a news producer, reporter and editor through-
representing the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communi-
out her undergraduate career. She and her husband cele-
cations during summer 2020 commencement exercises.
brated their second anniversary in November.
She was the first Penn State World Campus to earn the
“For me, it was a neat experience. An online option
honor. The Wisconsin native has never set foot on campus,
worked really well, and it allowed me to work at the same
or in Pennsylvania.
time,” she said. “It was a good option for someone who
“When I was about to start college, I decided I wanted
needs a little more flexibility. The biggest challenge was
to go to school online. I searched and Penn State came up
probably time management, balancing going to school,
first,” Vondra said. “I did a lot of research about the pro-
working and life. There were times when I was thinking
gram and University as well. That confirmed my decision.”
my career was going well and I thought about stopping
Throughout high school, Vondra envisioned a career as
school and just focusing on work, but my husband and
a neurosurgeon but by the time she enrolled at Penn State her initial intended major was law, which morphed to polit-
family encouraged me to finish.” Vondra, who was raised by her grandparents in a kinship
ical science and, ultimately, journalism. She earned her
foster arrangement, found out about her status as student
bachelor’s degree in digital media and journalism.
marshal on an especially stressful Monday. “It made my
Like many students who succeed at Penn State, persistence paid off for the native of Platteville, Wisconsin. 16
She put that approach to use after her freshman year as
2019-20 ANNUAL REPORT
day, my whole summer really, and made it all seem worthwhile,” she said.
