In the “fireman’s carry,” a wrestler hoists an opponent over their shoulders before flipping them to the mat. It sounds like a move favored by mountainous pros like the Rock or the Big Show, but it’s also the favorite of a freckle-faced 5’5” Terp who stands among the nation’s best female collegiate grapplers.Then-freshman Mckinley Jovanovic, who is a Public Leadership scholar, won last year’s National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) Mideast regional tournament in the women’s 131-pound weight class—a first for a UMD woman in any class—and finished fifth in nationals to net All-American honors.

The University of Maryland recently named Maryland Delegate Jazz M. Lewis as its director of state government relations. As director, Lewis will serve as the university’s primary liaison to state and local officials, working closely with senior leadership, faculty and campus partners to advance UMD’s priorities.Lewis is a two-time graduate of the University of Maryland, earning a Bachelor of Arts in government and politics and a Master of Public Policy degree. As an undergraduate, he participated in College Park Scholars’ Public Leadership Program, an experience he credits with launching his career in public service.

Prince George's County native Jazz Lewis came to the University of Maryland as a freshman only sure of one thing. He wanted to serve. College Park Scholars ended up being the perfect home for the future Maryland state legislator, now serving in the Maryland House of Delegates as Majority Whip, allowing him to challenge himself academically but also expand his vision of what service could look like.An email invitation in late spring from College Park Scholars' Executive Director Marilee Lindemann for Lewis to return to the place where he learned about himself was accepted eagerly.

A College Park Scholars alum has been tabbed one of the University of Maryland's top graduating seniors. Senior Anna Karan, a Psychology major who received her Scholars citation from Public Leadership, was one of 18 students selected as a 2025-26 Philip Merrill Presidential Scholar. The program, established through a generous gift from the late publisher Philip Merrill, recognizes the achievements of the students and the mentors who profoundly impacted their academic success.

University of Maryland students gathered in Hoff Theater to attend a film screening and panel about the hidden dangers of microplastics on Wednesday evening.The Student Government Association, Sustainable Ocean Alliance and Maryland’s Sierra Club organized the event. Attendees watched “Plastic People,” a documentary chronicling the history of plastic materials and how they evolved to become a part of daily life.Public Leadership Scholars alum Alicia Barnett, SGA's sustainability director, spoke about the importance of the event and how students can get involved with environmental sustainability through campus organizations.

College Park Scholars celebrated the best and the brightest of its most recent Citation class at its annual Citation and Awards ceremony recently. The 2025 Citation class, already packed with leaders in their academic fields of study and on campus, emerged undaunted by the challenges as one of the last high school classes during the pandemic, as productive community members in Scholars and at the University of Maryland.

The Maryland Medallion Society is a community of students who have shown exceptional leadership and integrity. These students are also the finalists for the University’s top two prestigious awards: the University of Maryland Model Citizenship Prize and the Wilson H. Elkins Award.This year, several College Park Scholars alumni were finalists for the top two awards – Jhennifer Celestino Alva (Global Public Health), Lily Fleischmann (Public Leadership), Sarang Han (Science and Global Change), Erika Holdren (International Studies), Abigail Manga (Public Leadership), and Kaitlyn Zhou (Public Leadership).

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.