Even after graduating, Millersville University students play an important role in the school's community as alumni. The school has over 70,000 alumni, many of whom remain active in the area. "Alumni engagement is instrumental," said Kristin Schab, director of alumni engagement at Millersville. "They're the backbone of Millersville, and they serve as a hub for past, present and future students; it's important for prospective students to see what a Marauder can do with their education."

As a way to celebrate its alumni, Millersville University launched the Marvelous Marauders program, which allows anyone to nominate an alumnus from the school. Alumni from any graduating year may be nominated through an online form, which must include a professional summary of the nominee, such as a written biography, resume or LinkedIn profile. Up to two letters of support may be submitted as well, and the deadline for submission is Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. To nominate a graduate, visit http://www.millersville.edu/alumni/marvelous-marauders/index.php and click on nomination.

The program will recognize 40 Millersville graduates and what they've accomplished since completing their education. The number of honored graduates was picked to honor the 40th anniversary of Millersville State College becoming Millersville University of Pennsylvania in 1983. The school itself was established in 1855 as the Lancaster County Normal School and was the first normal school in Pennsylvania. It was renamed the Millersville State Normal School in 1859 and became a state teachers' college in 1927. It was renamed once more in 1959 to Millersville State College. Nominees may be those who graduated prior to the school's officially becoming a university.

A selection committee of 10 voting members (consisting of eight alumni, one current student and one campus partner) will sift through the nominations and select the alumni to be featured. "We thought this would be a fun program that would not only pay tribute to the university, but also serve as a way to recognize the good work our Marauders are doing," said Schab. "It's a chance to see what everyone is up to. Our hope is that some of the winners will be able to provide opportunities and insight for current and prospective students." The committee will look at anything from career achievements to community service to ways the alumnus has engaged Millersville after graduating.

Once nominations are closed, the selection committee will finalize its choices and announce the winners in the spring or summer of 2023. Schab is currently working with Millersville University's IT department to create an interactive online gallery that will showcase each of the selected alumni and his or her endeavors.

For more information, visit the aforementioned website.