College Park Scholars, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the program's founding, honored the best and the brightest of its most recent Citation class at its most recent Citation and Awards ceremony. This tenacious class, filled with future changemakers and leaders, pushed through a challenging start to college that began during the pandemic to emerge as standouts in the classroom, in their communities, and at the University of Maryland.

Eighteen outstanding graduating seniors at the University of Maryland are committed to a variety of causes and career goals, ranging from statistics and public policy to teaching.

Ali von Paris ('12), CEO and Founder of Route One Apparel, an online retailer specializing in Maryland pride apparel and accessories. was recently selected for a new recognition program by The Daily Record— In the Lead: Best Women-Owned Businesses in Maryland. The program recognizes accomplished companies owned by women that demonstrate excellence across a broad spectrum of criteria. Under the Public Leadership alum's guidance, Route One Apparel has secured licensing rights with major corporations like McCormick, Utz, Hershey, and Morton Salt.

Clinical Professor and Levenson Family Professor Susannah Washburn, who is also the program director of the Public Leadership Scholars program, was recently honored with the Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by the Office of Undergraduate Studies Programs.

The Annual University Student Leadership Awards program recognizes and celebrates the outstanding achievements of our student leaders and scholars. Through this program, the university aims to acknowledge the exceptional academic performances and contributions to the University of Maryland community and surrounding neighborhoods made by students.Numerous Scholars were finalists and recipients of several of UMD's top awards.

Senior Marshals are graduating seniors who have demonstrated the highest levels of scholarship, service to the campus community, extracurricular involvement, and personal growth. The University of Maryland Senior Marshals represent graduating seniors who have demonstrated the highest levels of scholarship, service to the campus community, extracurricular involvement, and personal growth.

Susannah Washburn, the director of College Park Scholars' Public Leadership program, was recently awarded the 2024 Donna B. Hamilton Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching in the Office of Undergraduate Studies (UGST) Programs. She becomes the fourth College Park Scholars program director to earn the honor, following Dr. Elisabeth Maring, who leads the Global Public Health program (2022), Kalyani Chadha, former director of Media, Self and Society (2015) and David A. Crocker, former director of the Public Leadership program (2012).

The Bowie State University and University of Maryland Social Justice Alliance (SJA) recently hosted its sixth annual Symposium at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center on the College Park campus.The Bowie State University and University of Maryland Social Justice Alliance is dedicated to eradicating the ideology of intolerance, while confronting individuals and combatting systems that normalize indifference, justify injustice, perpetuate hate and inflict violence. The SJA is committed to social justice change through advocacy and action that impacts local, state, national, and global challenges.

When she walks across the Commencement stage to collect her diploma, Miriam Oke ’24 can undoubtedly say she left her mark on the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.Oke, a Public Leadership Scholars alum and finance major with a minor in nonprofit leadership and social innovation at the Smith School, knew even before she took her first steps on campus as a student that she wanted a college experience predicated on forging connections and building communities. During the next four years, she did that and more.

COLLEGE PARK, MD. – College Park Scholars in Fall 2024 will add two programs to its roster of two-year living-learning experiences for academically talented students, but one will look and sound familiar.Data Justice will debut, and the University of Maryland’s CIVICUS program will relaunch with a new name: Civic Engagement for Social Good.The expansion will bring the number of Scholars programs to a record of 13 and provide 150 additional first-year students with the opportunity to begin their college journeys as members of an intellectually rich and socially vibrant Scholars community.