Emma Suzuki Szwajkowski named Liberal Arts marshal for summer 2025 commencement

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Emma Suzuki Szwajkowski stood beneath the bright lights of Beaver Stadium for her first game as a Lion Ambassador, it felt like a seminal moment in her young life. After all, she was representing not only Penn State, but her peers and even her Japanese American identity.

Now, as her undergraduate experience comes to a close, Szwajkowski will represent the College of the Liberal Arts as its college marshal for the summer 2025 commencement ceremony on Aug. 16 at the University’s Bryce Jordan Center.

News of the distinction came as a complete surprise via email.

“I was so shocked I had to read it twice,” she said with a laugh. “Being recognized like this at the end of my Penn State journey validated all the hard work I’ve poured in.”

Szwajkowski graduates with degrees in Japanese and international politics with a concentration in international relations, a combination she describes not as strategic but personal.

Raised in Media, Pennsylvania, she grew up speaking Japanese with her mother, a first-generation immigrant. At the same time, her American upbringing offered her a broader view, one that sparked her life’s mission to be a bridge between her two worlds.

Szwajkowski spent her fourth year in Nagoya, Japan, studying at Nanzan University through an immersive yearlong program.

“It was the fulfillment of a childhood dream,” Szwajkowski said. “For the first time, I got to form deeper relationships with my relatives, spend weekends with family, and experience Japan as more than a visitor.”

The experience deepened her fluency and grounded her academically and emotionally.

“I’m confident I couldn’t have developed this level of cultural understanding without being there,” she said. “That year made me fluent, not just in language, but in context.”

At Nanzan, Szwajkowski took sociology courses in Japanese, analyzing topics like gender roles and demographic shifts.

“Those conversations helped me link my studies in politics with the everyday lives of people,” she said. “I could see how domestic culture shapes foreign policy.”

Szwajkowski’s academic drive was matched by her commitment to public service. As a Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar, she served as a Lion Ambassador, a Liberal Arts peer adviser, and even a podcast producer for the Paterno Fellows Program.  

“Peer advising was one of the most meaningful parts of my experience,” she said. “Helping students find their path gave me a sense of purpose and a reason to stay grounded even when life got hectic.”

For Szwajkowski’s honors thesis, titled “Democratization and Shari’a Law: Exploring the Role of Democratization in the Emergence of Shari’a Law in the Constitutions of Muslim-Majority Countries,” she researched nearly 200 constitutions, which taught her discipline, patience, and the importance of understanding unfamiliar cultures on their own terms.

Throughout her years at Penn State, Szwajkowski tapped into the resources that made her growth possible. Enrichment funding from the Paterno Fellows Program and a study abroad grant from the Schreyer Honors College allowed her to pursue unpaid internships and cultural experiences that would have otherwise been financially out of reach.

“It gave me the freedom to choose experiences based on value, not just pay,” she said. “That kind of support changes everything.”

Szwajkowski said being named college marshal puts a wonderful cap on her Penn State story.  

“To me, this honor is about reflecting. Looking back and saying, ‘Yes, I did that. I made the most of my time here,’” she said. “I hope everyone walks away from commencement feeling proud of themselves. We spent years building ourselves up. That’s worth celebrating.”