UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Maya Bergman, an early childhood and elementary education major from Clarkston, Michigan, has been selected as the Penn State College of Education’s student marshal for the fall 2025 commencement ceremony.
Bergman, the daughter of Krystal Bergman of Hershey, Pennsylvania, is also graduating with a minor in human development and family studies.
“When I first learned that I had been selected as the College of Education student marshal, I was both shocked and honored,” Bergman said. “I am beyond proud to have been selected to represent my college and classmates at commencement. This has proven to be an incredible opportunity for reflection, and I am once again shocked at how much I have grown not only as a student, but as a person as well. Having this opportunity to represent my peers will be such a special way to end my time at Penn State, and I couldn’t be more thankful for every opportunity presented to me here in Happy Valley.”
Bergman currently has a 3.99 grade-point average and has been a Dean’s List student every semester she has been at Penn State.
Bergman won the President Walker Award in 2021 and has been a four-time winner of the Penn State Provost Award.
While at Penn State, Bergman has been a programming board member and member of the internal affairs committee of the Blue & White Society, a member of the Student Pennsylvania State Education Association (SPSEA), a THON 2022 dancer relations committee member and family relations liaison, and a member of the Homecoming First Year Involvement Committee (FYIC).
But it was a personal challenge that forced her to temporarily step away from her education that really stood out to her.
“The most meaningful time for me here was, oddly enough, when I had to withdraw for medical complications due to an eating disorder during my freshman year,” Bergman said. “It was a time that was incredibly challenging for me, but I was met with nothing but support from the people around me at Penn State. Professors and faculty that I had never even met before came pouring out of the woodwork to accommodate me and my needs, which was especially appreciated as an out-of-state student.
“In coming back to Penn State, I was nervous and afraid that I would be left behind,” she continued. “My worries quickly vanished, however, when I came back to my home away from home and felt the support of a massive community behind me. It’s true what they say about a big school — you can certainly make it feel small. The HEALS team at UHS has been my rock and seeing just how much they care about me, and others is truly moving — I wouldn’t be here without them. I realized how important it is to surround myself with people who challenge and support me, and to step out of my comfort zone to become the best version of myself.”
Bergman completed her student teaching in a third-grade classroom at Franconia Elementary School in Souderton, Pennsylvania. She completed her pre-service student teaching in a kindergarten classroom at Mount Nittany Elementary School in State College, Pennsylvania. She also spent the summer of 2024 studying abroad in Florence, Italy through the human development and family studies program.
Upon graduation, Bergman said she plans to begin her career as an elementary school teacher where she said she is eager to provide her students with a safe and nurturing environment in which they can learn, grow and thrive.
“At Penn State, I’ve been supported and challenged in ways that exceeded my expectations,” Bergman said. “I have met friends that I will have for a lifetime, and people that I know are always going to be in my corner. I am truly so proud to say I am (almost) a Penn State alumna and will forever be grateful for my experience as a student wearing blue and white.”
Penn State’s fall commencement ceremonies are scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 21 at Bryce Jordan Center on the University Park campus. The ceremony for College of Education students receiving associate and bachelor’s degrees begins at 4:30 p.m. The ceremony for those receiving master’s and doctoral degrees begins at 9:30 a.m. More information about Penn State’s fall commencement ceremonies for College of Education students can be found on the College of Education commencement web page.