They’ll lead the way at the University of Maryland’s main Commencement ceremony next week: 86 graduating students, including five EdTerps, who have been named 2026 senior marshals in recognition of their outstanding scholarship, service to the campus community, extracurricular involvement and personal growth.
The full group will carry banners representing their schools and colleges into the ceremony on May 20 at SECU Stadium, accompanied by Marsha Guenzler-Stevens, director of the Adele H. Stamp Student Union, and Robert Infantino, associate dean of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, who oversee the marshals program.
“We congratulate the Class of 2026 for their achievement in overcoming such unprecedented times and making the most of it,” she said. “We celebrate the achievement of graduation for all of these Terps.”
Catherine Furtado (major: kinesiology; minor: human development) is a Banneker/Key Scholar from Waldorf, Md. She served as community service chair for the Filipino Cultural Association, Delta Epsilon Mu Professional Pre-Health Fraternity and Omicron Delta Kappa. She also was a volunteer coach for Kids Enjoy Exercise Now (KEEN), a tutor/mentor for the Latino Student Fund, a sports medicine intern for Maryland Athletics, a teacher's aide for UMD's Center for Young Children and a rehabilitation aide at an off-campus clinic. Following graduation, Furtado will pursue a doctorate in occupational therapy at Towson University.
Ashley Morales (dual degrees: English and Spanish) of Gaithersburg, Md., served as a squad leader for the Mighty Sound of Maryland, co-president of the Banneker/Key Community Council, vice president of the English Undergraduate Association and a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa national leadership honor society. She was a teaching assistant in the English department, an intern in Montgomery County Public Schools’ Student Leadership and Activities Office, and an English instructor for the Cultural Academy for Excellence. Morales, who earned her citation from the Honor College’s Design Cultures and Creativity program, will continue her studies at UMD’s College of Education’s Master of Education with teacher certification program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.
Elli Papasava (dual degrees: psychology, human development) served as president of the community service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, raised a service dog in training, participated in the First-Year Innovation and Research Experience (FIRE) and worked as a research assistant for the Cognition and Development Lab and the Human Computer Interaction Lab. Papasava is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and earned the Human Development Undergraduate Research Award for her honors thesis investigating children’s expectations of partisanship. After graduation, she aims to pursue a graduate degree.
Isabel Polanco (major: human development) of Gaithersburg, Md., served as a teaching assistant for Inquiry Approach to Teaching STEM, peer advisor and student worker in the College of Education's Office of Student Services, participant in the University Honors program and peer academic leader in the Honors College, intern in the A. James Clark School of Engineering's Academic Services Office, research assistant in the College of Education's Family Involvement Laboratory, student assembly member in the College of Education, and the historian and study abroad chair for the Latinx Student Union. Beyond campus, Polanco was a substitute teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools and camp counselor for Montgomery County Recreation. She will pursue a master’s degree in higher education administration.
Eugene Song (major: public health science; minor: disability studies) of Rockville, Md., graduated with a Gemstone citation in the Honors College. She has held numerous leadership and academic roles, including leading a maternal chemical exposure research team through Gemstone, serving as president of the Gemstone Student Council, working as a teaching assistant for three years and serving as a research assistant in the Public Health AeroBiology Lab. She was also a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and the public health honors society Phi Alpha Epsilon. During internships, she conducted virology research at the Mayo Clinic and examined water quality across Maryland counties through the CONSERVE/DAWN project at the University of Maryland, and co-authored manuscript submissions and conference abstracts. Song is passionate about infectious disease control research and hopes to further pursue a career in public health.
See the full list of senior marshals.
This story is adapted from an article that first appeared in Maryland Today.
Photo by Dylan Singleton
